(6.19) A youth-led and -organized protest demanding systemic change by defunding* the police and investing in the health and well-being of the black community will start today at 4pm at Classical High School. The protest will continue on to the State House with a sit-in and speaking program. (Facebook event.)
We are meeting at PCTA/Classical High school and marching to the Public Safety Complex, Rhode Island Department of Education, and ending at the Rhode Island Statehouse.
The original handwritten “Juneteenth” directive was recently discovered in the National Archives in a military order book. These two unassuming paragraphs affected the lives of roughly 250,000 people living in Texas. (WashPo 6.18.20)
The order sparked jubilation among African Americans in Texas and resulted in generations of celebration. It rings poignant today, as in recent weeks outpourings of anger against police brutality and racism have filled America’s streets.
*For more on the meaning of “defunding the police” go here.
Juneteenth Rally, 4pm, June 19, RI State House, 82 Smith Street, (directions)
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This image painted by AGonzaArt when the protests began can be found on The Facade, downtown on lower Westminster Street.