Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Protesters to march through borough
Local officials set to speak to public
The mayor and the borough police will give everyone a voice in the ongoing national discourse concerning police brutality against people of color.
A Thursday march and rally will start at Borough Hall, with marchers ending up at the Historic Courthouse to hear several speakers.
The event is scheduled for Thursday, June 4 will be held in partnership with the West Chester Police Department, the Mayor’s Office, Fredda Maddox and the Chester County Sheriff’s Office, the West Chester NAACP and Lillian DeBaptiste.
Speakers will include, Mayor
Dianne Herrin, Police Chief Jim Morehead, Maddox, Lillian DeBaptiste, NAACP President Kyle Boyer and Michelle Roberson, mother of shooting victim Bianca Roberson.
Business owners and residents can expect rallies almost daily at the Historic Courthouse.
About 800 demonstrators met peacefully at the Historic Courthouse steps Tuesday and then marched to the Borough Hall/ Police Station. The demonstrators chanted “I can’t breathe,” which were some of the final words spoken by George Floyd, whose life was snuffed out by a Minneapolis police officer.
On Tuesday, marchers blocked Gay Street and took a knee and raised a fist for about eight minutes, the approximate time the officer held a knee on Floyd’s neck. Police observed from a distance but did not obtrude.
The Police Department will be on hand for all public gatherings.
“As of now, we have not verified any significant threats to the borough,” said Herrin and Morehead in a joint statement, Monday.
“We believe it is our obligation to provide a venue for our community to come together as peacefully and safely as possible,” wrote Herrin and Morehead.
Parts of Gay Street and High Street will be closed to allow for a procession leaving Borough Hall at 6:30 p.m. Participants will stand near the courthouse steps for a series of six brief speeches.
“All of the speeches will focus on
our community’s response to injustice, and how we can move forward into a better future together,” wrote the mayor and police chief.
Substantial police protection will be on-site and participants are required to wear masks.
“We recognize this has the potential to be a large gathering, and we did not make this decision lightly,” reads the letter. “We realize that, with or without us, people will gather, and we believe it is best if we provide this opportunity to gather as safely and respectfully as possible, with a full police presence at the ready.”
As a result of this event, a previously-scheduled rally originally slated for June 5 at 5 p.m. has been cancelled, and those demonstrators will join the Herrin/Morehead march instead.
Pending unforeseen circumstances, borough businesses should be able to open on June 5 as permitted by Gov. Tom Wolf.
Borough business owners will be notified of any possible threats.
“WCPD is monitoring all social media platforms and the internet for chatter and we will be the first to inform you should our officers identify any significant threats,” reads the missive. “For now, if you are a business owner concerned about your business, you may consider the following efforts:
• Remove wares from the front window.
• Consider frequenting your place of business so you can keep an eye on everything and alert the WCPD if you see anything at all you feel needs to be investigated or addressed.
• Keep doors locked whenever you see or hear something that makes you uncomfortable.
• We are not asking anyone to board up their windows. While this is up to the store owners, this can have unintended consequences by inviting crime.”
A peaceful demonstration is also planned in the City of Coatesville for Thursday, June 4. It will start at 11 a.m. just beyond the bridge located near the intersection of Lincoln Highway and 13th Avenue and end at the Coatesville Police Department, according to Michael Trio, Coatesville City Manager.
“While our residents and visitors come together to recognize and mourn the tragic death of George Floyd, we are uniting to build a mission to end racial injustice and marginalization, and create an environment based on respect, equality and inclusion,” Trio said.
City Council President Linda Lavender-Norris will attend.
“I welcome the protest to our city, but I don’t want the demonstrations to stop here,” the Coatesville City Council President said. “We have to have a plan in order to effect change.
“The protest represents freedom of speech and unity during these turbulent times. This is my home and I want residents to know they can speak out and be heard. We should also expose our youth to how our system works and how it should work for them as growing black men and women.
“Coatesville’s young population is watching, and we have an opportunity to educate them and let them know we stand in solidarity against racism. Our condolences go out to the Floyd family and all families that have suffered from this kind of pain.”
“This has raised a call to action for police forces across the country to double down on efforts to assure that bias is eradicated, and brutality will not be tolerated,” Police Chief Jack Laufer said. “We have long taken the lead in Coatesville to review every facet of our training, protocols and interactions, with particular sensitivity to consider how our interactions impact those in black and brown communities.
“They must be equitable and fair to all. Our officers are an integral part of the Coatesville community and take pride in their commitment to support every individual’s rights with dignity and respect.”
State Rep. Dan Williams, D-74th, of Sadsbury, said that community members must encourage each other.
“In times like these, it is imperative that we come together to lift and encourage one another,” Williams said. “The collective community, including law enforcement and business leaders, will assemble on Thursday to speak and listen to one another.
“This will allow for both positive expressions and the opportunity to encourage demonstrators to funnel their passion and energy toward creating sustainable action and positive legislation.”
“I would like to see a peaceful demonstration because people do have the right to protest to let the world know that black lives matter,” Rev. Dr. James Simmons said.
An open letter
In other related news, West Chester Area School District Superintendent Dr. Jim Scanlon wrote an open letter to the community. He noted that this has been an “extremely difficult” school year.
“Now, as our country finds itself in violent turmoil and civil unrest after recent incidents of racism, and many in our school community have expressed concern, I feel compelled to once again reach out,” Scanlon wrote. “As educators, we consider it our responsibility to ensure that all students and staff members feel safe, valued, and accepted in our school community.
“No one should feel afraid, threatened, or somehow inferior because of their skin color, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or any other reason.”
Scanlon wrote that the school district is a place of great tolerance.
“I know we still have work to do,” according to the superintendent. “Public schools are largely a reflection of our society.
“Today in the West Chester Area School District, parents of children of color speak about teaching their sons not to run in public, or not to put up the hood on their sweatshirts, for fear that they will be mistaken for a criminal. They live with this fear because they’ve seen this scenario play out.
“It’s simply a chance they cannot take. Any parent of a child of color – and any student of color – will tell you that racism, in many forms, still exists in our community.”
Scanlon said that it is the job of the school district to work to end not only racism, but discrimination, prejudice, and intolerance.
“I have heard many people ask what they can do, and what we, as a school district, can do, to this end,” he said. “I certainly don’t pretend to have all of the solutions, but it’s at times like this I value most the work of our district Equity Team comprised of staff members who work to promote tolerance in numerous ways across our district.”
This week, the Equity Team is reaching out to staff members and to high school students to offer discussion groups, resources, and support.
“We can listen to each other, respectfully consider each other’s viewpoints, and begin to create solutions – even small ones – that may be right for all of our community,” Scanlon said. Scanlon wrote that parents who want to discuss race with their children and would like some assistance can find a “plethora of resources” online, including one just launched by the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture – https://nmaahc.si.edu/learn/talking-about-race.
Scanlon quoted Civil Rights leader Bayard Rustin, for whom a WCASD high school is named. Rustin worked with Martin Luther King Jr., while promoting a peaceful call to action.
“If we desire a society of peace, then we cannot achieve such a society through violence,” Rustin said. “If we desire a society without discrimination, then we must not discriminate against anyone in the process of building this society.
“If we desire a society that is democratic, then democracy must become a means as well as an end.”
Disrespect and intimidation have no place in our schools, according to Scanlon.
“We will continue to work to ensure our policies and procedures support this, and as a staff, we will continue to seek to understand the experience of all of our students and staff,” he said. “We will continue to discuss ways that we can promote equality and inclusivity – and, we will warmly welcome all students to a place where differences are cherished.”