Photo: Jowanne Carrigan, advertising representative for the Flint Courier News, who also was a homicide detective for 14 of years in Flint
Written by Tanya Terry
The recent rally in Flint held on the lawn of the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office brought out brought together police, community and church leaders and community members of many races and nationalities, but as one pastor said they were not just there for a for a :‘Kumbaya…’ moment.”
“We’re here to move from singing and praying to change,” said Pastor Ezra Tillman.
Jowanne Carrigan, advertising representative for the Flint Courier News, who also was a homicide detective for 14 of years in Flint, opened up the event by singing “We are the World.” She encouraged those in attendance to love one another and to sing along with her.
Pastor Jeff Hawkins of Prince of Peace Missionary Baptist Church, who helped organize the rally, said he believed no decent person could have seen what happened to George Floyd and tried to justify it, and he said all the law enforcement he talked to said it should have never happened. In addition, he said those in Flint were working to make sure it doesn’t happen here.
“I was grateful to be out walking in protest Saturday along with Sheriff Swanson,” Hawkins said. “I was grateful when he said put your batons down (to the other officers), and they did. Then he asked the people what do you want from me, and they said ‘walk with us.’ It started a movement where my son called me from Germany and said ‘what you are all dong there has reached here, and it’s a peaceful movement.’”
Hawkins said Flint has been known for crime, violence and the water crisis. But, Hawkins and other speakers pointed out Flint had set the standard for peaceful protests about George Floyd’s death and other injustices around the world.
DuWuan Robinson, Flint lead of Black Lives Matter, said to police if they wanted young Black men’s respect, they had to respect the young Black men as well and not stereotype them. In addition, Robinson said there would be a meeting later that afternoon and the “real work happens behind the scenes,” not necessarily when everyone was looking.
The president of Concerned Pastors for Social Action, Pastor Alfred Harris, talked about systems thinking, saying all four officers in the George Floyd incident should be charged with first degree murder. Harris said the officer who put his knee on Floyd’s neck did not understand the concept of systems thinking.
According to WhatsIs.com, systems thinking is a holistic approach to analysis that focuses on the way that a system’s constituent parts interrelate and how systems work over time and within the context of larger systems.
“He thought because we live in a racist society and there’s systemic racism that that would be the end of it,” Harris said. “But he found out that he was in a system, and there was a great uproar all over the country…even over in London, England…Before we make any decision, let’s think in our minds and in our hearts how it’s going to affect everybody.”
Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton said he believed in justice for all. Leyton said when he saw the video displaying the moments prior to, during and following George Floyd’s death, he was appalled, angry and had feelings of overwhelming disgust.
“In this community, it will not be tolerated,” Leyton said.
Leyton said that even as a 14-year-old White kid living in the suburbs, when he got the news that Martin Luther King, Jr. had been shot he was devastated. Leyton later marched for civil rights and against the war in Vietnam. Leyton said Martin Luther King’s photo hangs over his desk next to Bobby Kennedy Jr., who gave a speech shortly following King’s death.
Leyton read excerpts from Kennedy’s speech.
In this difficult day, in this difficult time for the United States, it is perhaps well to ask what kind of a nation we are and what direction we want to move in. For those of you who are Black–considering the evidence there evidently is that there were White people who were responsible–you can be filled with bitterness, with hatred and a desire for revenge. We can move in that direction as a country, in great polarization–Black people amongst Black, White people amongst White, filled with hatred toward one another. (Or) we can make an effort, as Martin Luther King did, to understand and to comprehend and to replace that violence, that stain of bloodshed that has spread across our land, with an effort to understand with compassion and love….”
Tillman said that with the march held the Saturday before the rally came a lot of emotion and energy.
“People are restless,” he said “But the sheriff gave us a chance to share locally and across the county how we feel and what the purpose of us being there was actually all about.”
Tillman said it is important for millennials to understand they are not the first generation to experience racism, and he said he considered the meeting held after the rally appropriate and timely.
The public meeting was originally going to be in the conference room of the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, but because of the number of people and social distancing concerns it was moved to the Genesee County Administration Building. This marked the beginning of a series of meetings. Pastors, clergy and Black Lives Matter members were in attendance.
At the meeting the issue of fair treatment for inmates inside the county jail was discussed. The sheriff indicated he is allowing designated clergy to go into the facility and talk to the inmates, as well as question them about how they are being treated.
A policy pertaining to discipline or firing of officers who commit criminal activity was also discussed. The county has the power to fire at will. The state and city have their own procedures, which were explained.
“We’re not just having conversations, we’re talking about implementation,” Hawkins said.
