Hundreds March In Peaceful George Floyd Protest In Evergreen Park

EVERGREEN PARK, IL — Hundreds gathered Wednesday afternoon at Klein (Circle) Park for a Black Lives Matter event protesting state violence against black people in what may have been a first for Evergreen Park, where 25 percent of the town's approximate population of 19,300 is African American.

The demonstration was organized by a group of black and white friends from Evergreen Park Community High School — Josh Marley, Quincy Whiteside and Jayla Lamb — responding to a weekend of watching peaceful demonstrations marred by violence in the news. What the students had to say was brutally honest and poked a few holes in some neighborhood sacred cows.

Josh Marley, one of the teen organizers, said the idea to hold a Black Lives Matter protest was born in a group chat on Snapchat.

"I've always supported the black community growing up here," said Marley, who will be a junior next fall at EPCHS. "Originally it was just going to be me and my friends. I said 'how about I post this in the Patch, so everyone's voice can be heard.'"

When the teens showed up a Circle Park, they were stunned by the turnout, estimated to be 400 people. For most of the organizers, it was the first time they had participated in a protest.

"We saw waves of people," Marley said. "Me and my friends looked at each other and were like, 'wow, we did this.'"

Marley said the video of George Floyd begging for a breath of air before dying on a Minneapolis street while in police custody reviled him. Floyd's death has been ruled a homicide in two autopsies, and the four police officers present at his arrest have since been fired and face numerous felony charges for second degree murder and aiding and abetting.

"I have family members in my life who are racist, even my own father. When he found out about this he went off on me. I said, 'you're being ignorant.' I wish my dad was proud of me. He's blatantly racist and I wish there was something I could do to make him change."

A group of recent and soon-to-be graduates of Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School said they learned about the march from an alumni Facebook group. The young women, who are all white, said the video showing Floyd's death make them feel sick, angry and heartbroken. All agreed "100 percent" that they had benefited from white privilege.

"I know just over the past couple of days how much I've learned and how much I need to improve myself and evaluating how I've been because of my white privilege," said Allison Riordan. "I haven't needed to look at a lot of these issues in the face. It's important that we evaluate ourselves. We'll never be perfect but as long as we're striving. It's not about being silent and letting the people who have these racist views just spatter off. It's about challenging ourselves and being actively anti-racist."

The young women said they were disappointed by a recent statement the school emailed to alumni offering a prayer for peace but not a stronger call to action.

"Prayers and thoughts are great, but they don't make the change. We make the change," Maggie Johanet said. "I'm worried about the current students of color, that the school isn't doing enough to make them comfortable."

Johanet said it was disheartening to hear the stories of former black students in the McAuley Facebook group who had a different high school experience with microaggressions or teachers and staff treating black students differently.

"I'm white and have white privilege, and that was definitely not my experience," Johanet added. "I want McAuley to do more for those students. I think it's important to note that McAuley doesn't have a single black teacher, especially considering the large population of students of color. It's important to see themselves represented. I hope McAuley puts that into consideration when looking for future staff members."

Before the march got started, several people got up to speak, many of whom were EPCHS alumni. One Evergreen Park resident told the protesters that he was proud to be a black man and of his black children.

"No matter who you are or what your color is, be proud of who you are," he said. "We're not saying black lives are better or white lives are better. We're all saying that in America where we live, we all deserve the freedom, justice and liberty. So we're here to take a stand to let the world know when black lives matter, all lives matter."

The march drew all races and all ages, as neighbors showed up to support the students. An Evergreen Park resident who is white was overheard telling her friends that someone left dog feces on her porch when she put up a Black Lives Matter sign in her window.

Mayor Jim Sexton, who spoke briefly and then stood at the sidelines watching the marchers, said it was the "best protest in Illinois, if not the country. It should be a model."

"All my respect to the organizers and leaders, who kept their word and made this a peaceful vehicle to let their voices be heard (which would have been easier to hear if the news helicopter could have put it on mute)," the mayor said later in a written statement. "[T]hey did as we asked, and there was no violence, no destruction and were very well-maintained. They were protesters; not rioters. There IS a difference."

After a few rounds around Circle Park, the protesters spilled out of the park and headed toward 95th Street, briefly shutting down the eastbound lanes as they marched through the neighborhood before heading south on Pulaski Road.

Police officers from Evergreen Park, Oak Lawn and Cook County steered the throng back into the residential streets, where the protesters kneeled for eight minutes before the march ended as peacefully as it began. Just as the teens hoped and planned, it was all love.

Watch the march:

Video by Lorraine Swanson | Patch