In the wake of the tragic events that took place on the night of Wednesday, June 17, 2015 in Charleston, SC, the citizens in Atlanta were aware and fired up. In the midst of the hurt, anger, and confusion caused by the loss of 9 Black angels in their place of worship, several Atlanta activists and organizations gathered at the steps of the Georgia State Capitol building on Friday night, June 19, 2015, and rallied together for the victims of the Charleston, SC church shooting. The killer stated his motive was to start a race war, but that is far from what he did. People of all races and ages came together, stronger than ever before, and supported each other in the fight for justice, with the common goal in mind that White Supremacy must be stopped and that #BlackLivesMatter.
Young people were asked to come up on the steps and call out the names of the ancestors we lost in the tragic shooting a few days ago. I was one of the 9 people who called out the names of Cynthia Hurd, Susie Jackson, Ethel Lance, Rev. DePayne Middleton-Doctor, Rev. Clementa Pinckney, Tywanza Sanders, Rev. Daniel Simmons, Sr., Rev. Sharonda Singleton, and Myra Thompson.
After each name, we said Ashe to command power and authority, and to affirm that we were remembering each of these individuals. After we lifted up their names in remembrance, we closed our eyes and prayed for the families of the victims, for the state of our nation, and for strength as we continue in the fight for justice.
From Charleston to Atlanta, we raised our voices in solidarity and unity; For justice and hope, we linked arms and marched the mile from the steps of the Georgia State Capitol to the sanctity of Big Bethel A.M.E. Church. As we marched we lifted up our voices, sang hymns, and chanted for freedom. We boldly declared, “It is our duty to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to win. We must love each other and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains.” As we exclaimed “You can’t stop the revolution!” I felt empowered. When we sang, “Ain’t gonna let white supremacy turn me around,” I felt a sense of togetherness and determination to not only want a change, but to fight for it. We ended our march at Big Bethel singing “I woke up this morning with my mind stayed on freedom.” We had service, sang songs, and prayed together. We heard from NAACP Georgia President Francys Johnson who reminded us that this country is in a dangerous condition, and that if we do not address what happened in South Carolina, we are on a course of collision.
In the words of State Senator Vincent Fort, “Today is for mourning. Tomorrow is for the fight.”
