Our first Rally was Sunday, June 7, 2020—a few days after George Floyd was killed by police in Minnesota. 

Our first rally.

We knelt for 9 ½ minutes, the time Officer Chauvin’s knee was on Mr. Floyd’s neck.  The Rallies changed days and became Micah Monday Rallies.  Our Social Justice Team endorsed police reforms called “8 Can’t Wait” (https://8cantwait.org), supported by Mayor Ginther, though with limited progress.  We continued Micah Monday Rallies into November with dozens of participants, and then maintained a small weekly presence along Bethel Road all winter. 

We held larger vigils for Casey Goodson and Andre’ Hill, Black men killed by police in Columbus. 

We recently gathered with interfaith organizations, in response to violence and prejudice against people of Asian descent. 

Why have we stayed at it so long?  Why do we intend to continue after nearly a year?  Because real change requires staying focused. 

  • Not everyone is comfortable with Rallies--but we stay focused.
  • Some people believe standing for Black Lives is anti-police--it is not, so we stay focused.
  • Some people, despite clear history and current evidence, deny there is such a thing as systemic racism—so we stay focused.
  • Trials drag on and specific proposals for police reform come and go--so we stay focused.   

One of the most powerful things I’ve read since Georg Floyd’s killing set off waves of protests is this stark contrast:

Am I comfortable taking a stand for Black Lives?  Well, no, not comfortable. But I am—finally—more comfortable taking a stand for Black lives than allowing things to go on the way they’ve always been for Black people. Until Black people are as safe as I am in this city we all share—we stay focused.