'We Need To Make A Change For Them:' Protesters Rally In CL

CRYSTAL LAKE, IL — At least 100 protesters — many teens and young adults — took to the streets of downtown Crystal Lake to make their voices heard Friday. The group gathered at the corner of Walkup and Crystal Lake avenues where recent Crystal Lake Central graduate D.c. Smith, 18, read off the names of several black people he said have died due to racial injustice.

"We need to make the change for them," he said. "We are breathing. They are not."

Smith and three other recent CL Central grads organized the protest on Friday, which was meant to bring attention to not only black people, but also those who are gay or transgender who experience injustice.

Smith's father, a black man, died from mental health issues after years of harassment, Smith told Patch. His father, who lived in Montgomery, Alabama, had post-traumatic stress disorder because continued acts of racism he experienced over the years.

Because of this, Smith decided to do what he could to make a change. Smith stood in the middle of the Walkup and Crystal Lake avenues intersection and spoke to those gathered on street corners around him. He said McHenry County needs to change, and standing up to someone who uses a racial slur or who characterizes all black people as dangerous is one way to do this.

"While this town may not be racist (overall), that does not mean racism does not exist here and around us," Smith said. "You may not be able to see it, but you may be able to feel it. You may try to ignore it but it is all around you all the time. It is not something that goes away when you turn off your phone."

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The group walked Crystal Lake streets, holding signs, before again gathering in the depot outside the Crystal Lake Metra station. Meanwhile, several businesses decided to board up their storefronts prior to the protest Friday. A second protest is set for 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, starting off at Crystal Lake and Walkup avenues.

Randy McNally, who has lived in Crystal Lake for nearly 50 years, sat on a bench downtown Crystal Lake Friday. He says it was heart-warming to see so many young people gathering in his city and standing up against injustice.

He said he'd like for more people in McHenry County recognize the "white privilege" that is so prevalent and the underlying issues with racism that have been around for years. McNally took part in protests in the 1960s while living in California and said the protests taking place this week remind him of that era.

"It's so much like the '60s, it's scary," he said. He added that McHenry County has always "been a place for white people" and that deep seeded part of the area has not changed.

All protests in McHenry County have remained peaceful this week, but unrest has broken out elsewhere with looters and rioters taking to streets and busting into businesses in some suburban towns, including Aurora, Waukegan and Naperville.

Police officers could be spotted throughout downtown Crystal Lake Friday. Many businesses decided to put boards in place as a proactive measure. Among the businesses that were boarded up were: Dalzell Jewelers, The Green Read, Abbey Road Hair Studio, Lulu's Wiggin Out, Crystal Lake Bank and Trust, Carlos Pancake House.

Enlightened Balance in downtown Crystal Lake set out free water for protesters to take with a sign next to it that read: "We understand that we will never understand ... but ... We hear you, we see you, we love you, we promise to do better. #BLM #fightforchange."

As for Saturday's protest, the Crystal Lake Police Department is urging residents to avoid downtown Crystal Lake from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Officials with the Crystal Lake Police Department met with the group, and they are anticipating a "peaceful event regarding the unjust death of George Floyd," according to police.

If things go awry, police said, they "are prepared in the event any individuals or groups choose to act in a way not in accordance with the law."