By Faradis Lindblom
“We are unstoppable, another world is possible,” chanted citizens of Iowa City at a protest against police brutality Thursday evening.
Protesters from the Iowa City area convened at the Pentacrest to have their voices heard on the matters of police brutality, racial disparities, and the Black Lives Matter movement.
Those who wished to speak were encouraged to step forward one by one to be heard “in an inclusive and welcoming space.” Among the many things shared were personal sentiments, motivation for change, original poetry, and a list of names of black citizens who have lost their lives to police violence.
Kylie Burdick, a sophomore at the University of Iowa, shared that growing up, her and her siblings were warned that if they were stopped by the cops they should just listen to what they have to say, and not speak unless they are spoken to.
“This angers me because we shouldn’t be silenced. We should be screaming at the top of our lungs,” she said. “I’m so tired of sitting back and being silent. I will stand here protesting until my feet bleed. I will protest, I will scream, until I can’t breathe.”
Many other protesters shared the same fire in regards to the injustices black people in America face today.
“To be black in America is to walk with a target on your back,” 19 year old Taylor Davis said.
Similarly, other community members took the time at the protest to peacefully express their disappointment in the social justice system, and to remind of and reinforce the notion that black lives matter.
“It’s like stating the obvious that black lives matter. I’m a human being and I do matter,” said community member Erika M., who declined to give her full last name. “My money matters, my vote matters, and nobody asks what color it is when they get it.”
Venson Curington II of Iowa City said to all in attendance that although it is easy to come out and support the Black Lives Matter movement on a summer evening, their fight would require work all year round.
“We are at the point where we are done talking, and what I’m needing is folks who are ready to make change. When we get mobilized and ready in August, September of this year, we expect all of these people to be here, to march, to demonstrate, because this is an emergency,” he said. “This is not a time for slow progress, this is an emergency.”