Line dancers walk for peace
Dozens of south suburban residents who typically meet to enjoy the benefits of line dancing gathered for a different purpose Friday morning in Dolton.
Participants shared a positive message about the ongoing struggle for civil rights. They held a peace walk to show solidarity with thousands walking at the same time in Washington, D.C., to commemorate the 57th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on Aug. 28, 1963.
“We wanted to be a part of that anniversary,” said Dawn Avery of Matteson, one of the organizers of Friday’s event in Dolton.
Avery said she has been a full-time line dance instructor for 10 years. The activity is especially popular with senior citizens who enjoy the social aspects as well as the health and fitness benefits, she said.
“In normal times we would be doing this every day,” Avery said.
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted her business by making it difficult to dance in studios or other indoor spaces. Her group, known as Dawn the Dancing Deevas and Dudes, has been meeting in a parking lot outside the Dolton Park District administration center.
As precautions during the pandemic, participants on Friday wore masks and practiced social distancing.
“Line dancing is a fun form of exercise,” Avery said. “It’s for people who want to get exercise but don’t want to go to the gym.”
Line dancing has a long history. People repeat a sequence of steps in unison, all facing the same direction. The activity is often associated with country music. Its popularity soared with the 1992 Billy Ray Cyrus hit, “Achy Breaky Heart.”
DJ Marque Reed provided the musical soundtrack for Friday’s peace walk, which featured line dances as well. Line dancing works with many types of music
that have steady beats and melodic bass lines. Some line dance gatherings are organized as classes, while others are described as parties, Avery said.
The movement is choreographed and synchronized without being strenuous.
“It keeps you young and gives you something to do,” she said. “It’s a great way to make friends.”
Avery’s group and members of seven other south suburban line-dancing groups each planned to walk a mile along a path around the Dolton Park District facilities. The 8 miles equaled the distance that marchers in Washington, D.C., planned to walk on Friday.
“I felt like it was a good time for us to get together,” said Wanda Brown, who helped organize the peace walk. “This was a good way to show our concern.”
Other south suburban line dance groups represented Friday included Keema’s Kickin’ Crew — or K2C — and the 8712 soul line dance group. About 70 people were expected to participate, Avery said.
The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his historic, “I Have a Dream” speech during the first March on Washington, D.C. About 250,000 people participated in the 1963 event, which is considered among the largest political demonstrations in American history.
The peaceful demonstration was part of a growing movement that led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Organizers and participants in Friday’s peace walk said they wanted to publicly show their concerns about racism in the wake of George Floyd’s killing in May. Four Minneapolis police officers were fired. One faces murder charges and the other three are charged as accomplices.
“Right now in America there is a lot of social unrest,” Reed said. “African Americans are being persecuted. It’s something we need to stand up for.”
Demonstrators gathered Friday on the National Mall at the Lincoln Memorial, where King delivered his famous address. The event was titled, “Commitment March: Get Your Knee Off Our Necks.”
Floyd died after an officer knelt on his neck for about eight minutes. Bystanders captured the incident on video, and Floyd could be heard saying, “I can’t breathe.”
The Rev. Al Sharpton helped organize the Washington, D.C., event, which featured speakers who called for greater police accountability.
Ted Slowik is a columnist for the Daily Southtown. tslowik@tribpub.com