‘I’m going to fight for everything that I believe in’ Solidarity rally attendee says
After more than a dozen speakers of color spoke about systemic racism at the Peaceful Solidarity Rally Saturday in Bellingham in support of Black Lives Matter, people of color and rally attendees said they hope the event sparks change in individuals and the community.
CanJarri McKinley, who attended the rally, said she’d like to see more representation going forward. She said she hopes the things said at the rally “isn’t just a fun thought for everybody” and that the speakers’ words motivate people to do change in the community.
“As a black woman this is something that I deal with every day of my life, so I do this for my children and my children’s children, and I’m tired of dealing with this,” McKinley said. “So I’m here regardless of everything, even a pandemic going on. I’m going to be here, I’m going to stand here, I’m going to fight for everything that I believe in.”
Rally speakers shared their experiences, their pain, the ways in which the various systems in place oppress them, how people can be better allies and their hopes for what they say is not a moment, but a movement, sweeping the nation to dismantle systemic racism.
“Thank you guys for standing in solidarity against hate. … That’s why I do this meeting here, because it’s just not about being black, it’s about equality. … Before there was COVID-19, there was COVID 1492, and after COVID 1492 there was COVID 1619, so I’ve been living in a pandemic my entire life. So you want to do something? Say equality matters,” Terrance (Teejay) Morris, one of the lead organizers, said on stage at Maritime Heritage Park.
More than 5,000 people gathered at the park Saturday, June 6, for the rally. Many of them brought signs that read various slogans, such as ‘Say Their Names’, ‘Defund police’, ‘Silence is violence’ and ‘Black Lives Matter’. Mostly everyone in the crowd was wearing a mask to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
There were no uniformed police officers at the park, but Bellingham Police Chief David Doll and Blaine Police Chief Donnell “Tank” Tanksley both attended in plain clothes.
Alieu Jammeh, who moved from New York nearly three years ago to attend Western Washington University, said he was proud of the community for coming out and showing their support. He said he wasn’t expecting that many people to show up.
“I want to see change. Change doesn’t happen overnight, but this is a great start. … I want this community to know that it doesn’t matter if you’re Black, White, Hispanic, I want everyone to just be viewed the same,” Jammeh said. “We’re all human at the end of the day. … I don’t want to be judged when I’m walking down the street just because of my skin color, so that’s why I’m here, that’s what I want, and I want change.”
The black national anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing” written by James Weldon Johnson and set to music by John Rosamond Johnson, was sung to start off the rally.
‘Stand with us’
Vernon Damani Johnson, a WWU political science professor, said the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis after a white police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes has sickened America. He said people of color have always been on the front lines fighting systemic racism, but white people are finally stepping up and moving from just being an ally to building a community and future together with people of color.
“We must get involved in efforts that have been ongoing since Ferguson to reform the law enforcement and criminal injustice systems. We must take up the battle to dismantle systemic racism in all of our institutions. … This revolution will take time. It will not be won dramatically by sweeping aside all of those toxic institutions of white supremacy,” Johnson said, as he was framed by several large banners with the slogan ‘Black Lives Matter’ on stage Saturday. “We must steel ourselves for the long term struggle, it’s going to take all of us to get it done.”
Lummi Nation member Terrence “TJ” Adams said he is proud of where he came from and his ancestry, and asked the crowd to open their hearts and minds. He had the crowd yell out “Peace, Love, Prayer” twice, before performing a Lummi prayer. Adams also discussed incarceration and highlighted that many people struggle with finding housing or jobs after being released from jail or prison. He said he gets looks because of his tattoos, but that he’s worked hard for what he has and to provide a safe and healthy environment for his son, and a way for him to follow in his father’s footsteps.
“I’m here to let you know we don’t get the same treatment that everybody else gets when they go into a place. We’re not asking for sympathy, but empathy, understanding. That’s all we want,” Adams said Saturday. “We’re not asking you to feel bad for us. Come and stand with us, beside us, not behind us.”
Diedre Smith said she spoke from her heart Saturday concerning black lives matter. She thanked everyone who was marching across the United States, and the world, in support of black lives. She said Saturday was about black people that have been killed by racist police officers not because of who they were, but because of their skin color, and about the worry black people have when their children go outside.
“If a house is on fire, the fire department comes and they don’t hose the whole neighborhood. They get the house that’s burning. So today, black houses are burning, black lives are burning, black people are burning. I got enough common sense to know that all lives matter, all people come from God, but today is about our black house,” Smith said.
Several other speakers shared their own experiences with being treated as less than in Bellingham, about their heritage, and running for office to try to change the systems that oppress people of color.
At the end of the rally, Keyra Torres De Luevano, who is Hispanic, got on stage to share her experiences. She said she is the only brown person in her apartment complex, has had the police called on her while taking her dog outside, as well as while she was taking the trash out at work, and has been asked if she was from this country. She asked white people to use their privilege to speak up, not just post on social media.
“Stand with us. Protect us. Hear us. It is a privilege to educate yourself on racism rather than experiencing it. Privilege is when my culture is being offered as an elective at your school and your culture is being offered as a requirement,” she said.
‘Equality matters’
Brandi Smetko, who is black, said she came to the rally for representation. Smetko said she hopes people keep talking, trying, researching and educating themselves. She asked people to keep using their voice, because some feel they can’t say anything of validity because of their skin color, but she said that’s not the case.
“It’s not something that’s going to take like two months. It is going to be very rough and I respect everybody who is going to try, because it would be hard for me if I had to try and unlearn everything I’ve learned,” Smetko said.
Dimetrieze Walker said he attended the rally because he wanted to support those that are trying to mobilize against police brutality and for overall human equality. Walker said he hopes people have the courage to stand up in the little moments, such as when talking to friends or family. He said those little battles need to be won in the push for equality.
“Something that you realize as a black person is that your struggles are unique, but you’re not alone,” Walker said. “You see people from many different communities that are oppressed, that do not enjoy the liberties and freedoms that are given to other individuals in our society.”
Like Walker, Taylor Stafford attended the rally for justice, equality and peace. Stafford, who is African American, said while all lives do matter, right now that’s not the case and black people are being oppressed and have been oppressed for years.
“I don’t think it’s ideal to perpetuate the ideologies of our oppressors, but change that narrative for peace and equality. That’s just the most important. I couldn’t just sit home knowing this was going on. I had to be here,” Stafford said. “There will be change, I believe that wholeheartedly. Change is slow, but progress is what we want as opposed to regress.”
Morris, one of the lead organizers of Saturday’s event, said it’s time for people to educate and challenge themselves. He said people need to speak up to those that they come into contact with everyday, such as family and friends.
“Equality matters. Because I can’t live a black life if I don’t have equality and I’m sick of it,” Morris said. “This was about solidarity among all races. And that’s what this looks like, all standing together one by one for a great cause. … We have to do the work together to have equality.”
Credits for the black national anthem were corrected June 9, 2020.
This story was originally published June 9, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
