'Black Lives Matter' Rallies Bring Police, Community Together in Message of Unity

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EAST HAMPTON, NY - Willy Jenkins, who grew up in Bridgehampton and later moved to Riverhead, said one of his first vivid memories of outright racism was when he and friends were driving in a car and police pulled them over.

Allegedly, they were stopped because the driver hadn't signaled; the officer told the young men to step outside, and searched them, Jenkins said.

They were with a friend who was white, Jenkins said. The police did not search his white friend, Jenkins said, adding, "They asked him, 'Why are you here with them?'" he said. "That cut my heart out. He made me feel like I didn't belong, as though I'd done something wrong."

It was then, he said, that he realized, "This is what being black means. And it's not okay."

Jenkins, who has two children, 10 and 3, wants his kids to grow up in a different world, a world where the labels "black" and "white" are no longer used to classify people who are all the same, inside.

That's why Jenkins, along with more than 100 others, white and black, turned out Sunday for two rallies Sunday meant to focus on a message of peace and unity — and standing strong for change.

The names of black men who have died at the hands of law enforcement were read.

Chanting "Hands up, don't shoot," "No justice, No peace," "Black lives matter, All lives matter, Blue lives matter," the group waved signs, stood on the sidewalk and marched down streets in both East Hampton and Bridgehampton as some motorists honked in support.

Some detractors reacted negatively, one man calling the group "criminals" and telling them they were "breaking the law." Another woman told a marcher, "You're a fool."

But police said there was only "a small handful of negativity" at the event in East Hampton.

The first took place at the park near the Stop and Shop in East Hampton Village on Sunday and was the second gathering organized by Vanessa Vascez-Corleone, 28, of Riverhead, who planned a similar peaceful demonstration last Sunday in Riverhead.

This week's rally, also organized by Donna Stovall, was focused on diversity and peace, and meant to raise awareness.

Stovall, who worked closely with East Hampton Village Police to plan the event, said the rallies are critical.

"They're so important, because they're bringing the community and the police department closer together," she said.

A second event, presented by Racial Justice East End, a "Community March & Vigil to Support Black Lives Matter" as well as Alton Sterling and Philandro Castile, took place Sunday, beginning at the Unitarian Universalist Meetinghouse on Sag Harbor Turnpike. A march continued to the Hampton Library on Main Road in Bridgehampton, where a vigil took place.

Racial Justice East End's sponsoring organizations include Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the South Fork, Temple Adas Israel, and Canio's Cultural Cafe.

Last Sunday's demonstration in Riverhead drew more than 100 people, carrying signs and peacefully mobilizing to bring unity after the killings of black men at the hands of law enforcement.

The event was a catalyst for change, and now plans are in place to take the rallies on the road, with similar events planned across the East End and Long Island.

Tina Guglielmo of East Hampton said she came out with urgency, "to try to find an antidote to all of this horrific violence. I think the antidote is love. I'm here to love."

When asked why he'd turned, out, Arjun Achuthan of East Hampton said simply, "You've got to be here today."

Regina Sster said she's Jewish and has experienced prejudice. She wrote a poem for the event.

Ella Engel-Snow of Sagaponack said white silence is dangerous. "It's really important to speak up," she said. "Racism is built into our system."

Lucius Ware, president of the Long Island chapter of the NAACP, attended both rallies and commended all organizers.

While he said all lives matter, the rallies are critical because, "Black people have not mattered, even up until the present day."

Police and those gathered for the demonstration stood side by side, talking together and working together to create a meaningful event. According to East Hampton Village Police Chief Gerard Larsen said the event was "very well planned." He'd met with Donna Stovall in advance and said they collaborated together.

The main concern was that some unknown individuals in the public could potentially act out and the goal was to keep everyone, both those rallying and police, safe.

At the Bridgehampton event, Kimberly Quinn Johnson, minister of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the South Fork, spoke passionately about the terrible events in the news, including Sunday's shooting in Baton Rouge that left three police officers dead.

While all lives matter, she said mothers of black children have to live in fear that their sons might be gunned down, with no justice ever realized. She spoke of the pain of a little girl who had to bury her brother. "For us, the grief is real," she said.

She added, "The truth is, in this country, all lives have not mattered."

All lives will not matter, she said, until black men are not killed at traffic stops, or outside stores for selling loose cigarettes. All lives will not matter until 12 year old boys are no longer gunned down in the park, she said.

Kathy Engel said she hoped the day would mark the end of Bridgehampton as a community where racism and white supremacy live.

The event included poetry read by all ages and races.

Vascez-Corleone, who by day is a project manager for a construction company and also owns a tax business and a cleaning business, said her generation needs to mobilize and have a voice for change.

"It's important for people my age and younger to start doing this," she said. "So many don't think we can do things like this. We're so used to reading about Martin Luther King and that generation doing things — and that's where it ended. So many think it can't be done in our generation, or we don't do things like that. It's important for someone my age or younger to believe that we can do it, that we can make a change."

Vascez-Corleone said she's proud to be a catalyst for change. "Everyone is ready to go forward and keep it going. I'm proud of the awareness this brought — everyone can see that racism is alive. And it's in our own backyard."