By William Smith
Almost 450 black paper squares hung from the ceiling of the large shelter house in Crapo Park Saturday evening, their plainness wrought with symbolism. According to event organizer Ryland McLaughlin, each one represented three Black people killed by police over the past five years.
The purpose of the Juneteenth event was to celebrate racial unity while also recognizing oppression and the after-effects of slavery. Specifically, the holiday celebrates the freeing of the last slaves by Union troops in Galveston, Texas, which came two-and-a-half years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
As McLaughlin noted, tension has been high across the country since the alleged murder of George Floyd under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer.
“People feel like America is at arms right now because of one event. Or two events. But the reality has been almost 400 years of violence and oppression,” McLaughlin said.
To prove her point, she pointed to a row of white squares hanging from the opposite side of the shelter. The squares were filled with the names and accomplishments of Black Americans, as well as the oppression they suffered.
The white information boards stretched nearly the length of the shelter house and still only grazed the depth of Black history.
Shortly before the event started, more than a dozen bikers with the Burlington chapter of the 219 Riderz motorcycle club pulled up in a display of support.
“Black lives matter. Any kind of lives matter. We wanted to come out and show support. There’s too much going on in the world not to show support. We’re all brothers,” said club member Jonathan Harrell of Burlington. “We’re one big family. That’s what our motto is.”
But, Harrell said he understands many people make racial distinctions in hateful ways, pointing out that racism has always been with us. Harrell hopes the solution will be love, even if that means loving those who don’t love you back and avoiding those who would do you harm.
“It hurts that you have stupidity here and there in the world. All people aren’t like that (the police offer who killed Floyd). I just hate that it had to come to this. This should have been stopped a long, long time ago,” he said.
Photo by Anthony Dewitt
Ryland McLaughlin (right), one of the organizers of Saturday's This Is Us Juneteenth event in Crapo Park in Burlington, strikes up a conversation with an event attendee.