ROCHESTER, NY (WROC)- Hundreds marched through Greece Saturday afternoon, as part of a black lives matter protest focusing on improving black history education and the climate for student of color in Greece schools.
Throughout the day there was speakers, performances, and rallying, in support of the black lives matter movement.
Dina Johnson organized this rally to call for education reform in Greece schools, with more inclusion of black history.
“So if we teach our kids the value of education and the importance of it, we can go far and these communities can stop standing divided and rather united,” said Johnson.
Johnson said she was shocked when she saw a post on the Town of Greece Facebook page, listing out steps in preparation for the rally, including calling in state police, and alerting business in the area.
Johnson feels the post made the protest seem dangerous.
“We live here so why would I want to destroy somewhere that I live, and why would I want to build something that would destroy it, so i was very offended personally and i feel like he needs to have a conversation with me at the table,” said Johnson.
Comments for and against the move filled the page, some calling the plan “Very thorough and well thought out” others saying the post was “provocative and laced with fear”.
Rumella Cameron, the Leader of the Greece Democratic Committee, called the post threatening.
The town of Greece responded to some of the comments directly.
Organizers say the the post didn’t deter them from gathering, and they worked to keep everyone safe and get their message heard. Looking out at the hundreds gathering at the Greece Town Hall for the rally, organizers say it was heart warming.
“It was all very enlightening I just felt good, I can’t find a better adjective for that I just felt really good about it,” said Derrell Fuller, Greece resident.
One of the focuses of the protest, improving education and diversity in Greece schools and rally leaders partnered with the Center of Youth, who has has been working on that through school programs.
Demands include; Ensure diversity among teachers, social workers, and counselors in Greece schools; encourage teaching of Black History all year long, not just in February. Introduce obligatory unconscious bias and cultural sensitivity training of school staff and all police officers. Increase community-based and school resources including mental health services. Demand that town supervisor holds Greece police officers accountable for social injustice act. Call for official recognition of Black History Month, Malcolm X Birthday, Juneteenth and Kwanzaa. Recruit more black and brown members to the Town Board, Board of Education, Greece Chamber of Commerce.
“We have an agency that is doing exactly what these young people have asked us to do, which is connect to them. But we can do better and we will do better, We have to continue with our hiring and we have to continue with our education,” said Elaine Spaull, Executive director at the Center for Youth.
Greece police had closed off part of Long Pond road for the rally, and protesters traveled from the town hall to Greece Athena High School and then to English Road.
Speakers talked along the way, drums beats rose from the crowd, and organizers say the goal of creating unity was accomplished.
“There’s something about being safe that brings about unity, compatibility and commonalities and that’s the message I want them to walk away with is that that your safe,” said Fuller.
Many of the speakers focused on black civil rights leaders and the history of black culture in American. Saying its important to bring this history into schools, in order to improve the future.
The Greece town supervisor posted to Facebook after the protest saying in part “We wanted to ensure everyone was safe and that was certainly the case. So thank you again to the organizer and to everyone who participated.”
—ROCHESTER FIRST