By Stephanie Edmond-Myers
July 11, marks the one-year anniversary of the Black Lives Matter march in Mt. Lebanon and Dormont. The march, the second in as many weeks in the two municipalities, was organized by local activists Camille Redman and Ashley Love in the wake of the George Floyd murder. The activists specifically choose Lebo and Dormont as part of their goal to educate and hold meaningful discussions in white communities about ending the disease of racism and the suffering it causes (Source: WeInspire). Over 300 peaceful protestors made their way along Washington Road to Jefferson Drive – men, women, children, students – holding homemade signs, sometimes chanting, sometimes quiet. A local church group helped pass out water in the sweaty July heat. Police officers worked with organizers and offered to assist as needed.
At the end of the one-mile march, protestors were asked to kneel on one knee in silence for eight minutes and 49 seconds to signify how long Derek Chavin knelt on George Floyd’s neck. Maybe you were among the kneelers. I was. At about two minutes in, my knee began to ache. Pebbles transformed into jagged shards digging into my knee. Man, it’s hot! Wish I’d picked a shadier spot. I shifted. Then shifted again. A short time later, I gave up and sat down. I wasn’t the only one. Sheepishly, I glanced about and a few had done the same. I moved into a dot of shade, ashamed that I allowed my mind to focus on my own comfort. How long are eight minutes and 49 seconds? An eternity.
Signaling that time was up, Camille began to speak again. Relief washed over me. A relief denied to George Floyd, a human being.
Slavery as we know it is over, but we black folks are still in bondage. One difference is our murders are no longer just a macabre sideshow cheered on and witnessed by debased few, but broadcast throughout the world. It’s a double-edged sword, though. Witnessing these murders awakens others to our plight. Yet, it can also serve to desensitize us to brutality and horror. Don’t let this happen. Continue to be shocked. To be outraged. These killings are atrocities. They should never become background noise. We need voices lifted and fists raised. Speak out against racism and all forms of identity-based hate. Support black-owned businesses. Donate to local police reform organizations. Support progressive candidates. Support the passage of the Abolition Amendment. Because, it didn’t stop with George Floyd. According to a May 25, 2021, Newsweek article, since George Floyd’s murder, 229 black people have been killed by police.
Say Their Names:
- Tony McDade aka Natosha McDade, 38, Tallahassee, FL
- Modesto “Marrero Desto” Reyes, 35, Marrero, LA
- Ruben Smith III, 35, North Little Rock, AK
- Jarvis Sullivan, 44, Yulee, FL
- Terrell Mitchell, 34, Philadelphia, PA
- Momodou Lamin Sisay, 34, Snellville, GA
- Derrick Thompson, 46, Fountain, FL
- David McAtee, 53, Louisville, KY
- Tyquarn Graves, 33, Brooklyn, NY
- Kamal Flowers, 24, New Rochelle, NY
- Lewis Ruffin Jr., 38, Orlando, FL
- Phillip Jackson, 32, Tunnell Hill, GA
- Michael Blu Thomas, 63, Lancaster, CA
- Rayshard Brooks, 27, Atlanta, GA
- Cane Van Pelt, 23, Crown Pont, IN
- Donald Ward, 27, Phoenix, AZ
- Brandon Gardner, 24, Beach Park, IL
- Terron Jammal Boone, 31, Rosamond, CA
- Derrick Canada, 43, Giddings, TX
- Skyleur Toung, 31, San Bernardino, CA
- Robert D’Lon Harris, Vinita, OK
- Rasheed Mathew Moorman, 26, Roanoke, VA
- Aloysius Larue Keaton, 58, Little Rock, AK
- Kevin O. Ruffin, 32, Sheboygan, WI
- Ky Johnson, 31, Kansas City, MO
- William Wade Burgess III, 27, St. Louis, MO
- Joseph W. Denton, 35, Milwaukee, WI
- Paul Williams, Houston, TX
- Malik Canty, 36, Paterson, NJ
- Erroll Johnson, 31, Monroe, LA
- Richard Lewis Price, 49, San Diego, CA
- Hakim Littleton, 20, Detroit, MI
- Vincent Demario Truitt, 17, Austell, GA
- Aaron Anthony Hudson, 31, Syracuse, NY
- Darius Washington, 24, Chicago Heights, IL
- Vincent Harris, 51, Baton Rouge, LA
- Jeremy Southern, 22, Sacramento, CA
- Name withheld by police, Detroit, MI
- Chester Jenkins, 60, Stockton, CA
- David Earl Brooks Jr., 45, Roxboro, NC
- Darrien Walker, 28, Detroit, MI
- Ashton Broussard, 30, Houston, TX
- Amir Johnson, 30, Ventnor City, NJ
- Julian Edward Roosevelt Lewis, 60, Sylvania, GA
- Salaythis Melvin, 22, Orlando, FL
- Jonathan Jefferson, Bossier City, LA
- Rafael Jevon Minniefield, 29, Moreland, GA
- Kendrell Antron Watkins, 31, Tuscaloosa, AL
- Anthony McClain, 32, Pasadena, CA
- Adrian Jason Roberts, 37, Hope Mills, NC
- Trayford Pellerin, 31, Lafayette, LA
- Damian Lamar Daniels, 31, San Antonio, TX
- Julius Paye Kehyei, 29, Houston, TX
- Name withheld by police, 43, Dearborn Heights, MI
- Michael Anthony Harris, 44, Daytona Beach, FL
- Robert Earl Jackson, 54, Thorsby, AL
- Dijon Kizzee, 29, Westmont, CA
- Deon Kay, 18, Washington, D.C.
- Steven D. Smith, 33, Syracuse, NY
- Major Carvel Baldwin, 61, San Antonio, TX
- Steve Gilbert, 33, Delray Beach, FL
- Jonathan Darsaw, 28, Moscow, TN
- Robert Coleman, 88, West Sacramento, CA
- Darrell Wayne Zemault Sr., 55, San Antonio, TX
- Charles Eric Moses Jr., 33, Brunswick, GA
- Dearian Bell, 28, Atlanta, GA
- Patches Vojon Holmes Jr., 26, Bellefontaine Neighbors, MO
- Kurt Andras Reinhold, 42, San Clemente, CA
- Willie Shropshire Jr., 57, Waggaman, LA
- DeMarco Riley, 27, Decatur, GA
- Jonathan Price, 31, Wolfe City, TX
- Stanley Cochran, 29, Philadelphia, PA
- Tyran Dent, 24, Queens, NY
- Anthony Jones, 24, Bethel Springs, TN
- Kevin Carr, 23, Los Angeles, CA
- Dana Mitchell Young Jr., 47, Los Angeles, CA
- Fred Williams III, 25, Los Angeles, CA
- Akbar Muhammad Eaddy, 27, Rock Island, IL
- Dominique Mulkey, 26, Tampa, FL
- Marcellis Stinnette, 19, Waukegan, IL
- Rodney Arnez Barnes, 48, Elmwood Place, OH
- Gregory Jackson, 45, Moss Point, MS
- Mark Matthew Bender, 35, San Bernardino, CA
- Ennice “Lil Rocc” Ross Jr., 26, Kansas City, MO
- Jakerion Shmond Jackson, 19, Sylvester, GA
- Walter Wallace Jr., 27, Philadelphia, PA
- Maurice Parker, 34, Las Vegas, NV
- Kevin Peterson Jr., 21, Vancouver, WA
- Name withheld by police, 42, Detroit, MI
- Justin Reed, 34, Jacksonville, FL
- Michael Wright, Sacramento, CA
- Reginald Alexander Jr., 25, Dallas, TX
- Frederick Cox Jr., 18, High Point, NC
- Rodney Eubanks, 25, Baltimore, MD
- Vusumuzi Kunene, 36, Lanham, MD
- Brandon Milburn, 37, Oklahoma City, OK
- Tracey Leon McKinney, Gulfport, MS
- Angelo “AJ” Crooms, 16, Cocoa, FL
- Sincere Peirce, 18, Cocoa, FL
- Arthur Keith, 19, Cleveland, OH
- Name withheld by police, Inglewood, CA
- Shane K. Jones, 38, Dania Beach, FL
- 103. Shawn Lequin Braddy, 37, Laurel, MD
- Jason Brice, 39, La Vergne, TN
- Kenneth Jones, 35, Omaha, NE
- Rodney Applewhite, 25, Los Lunas, NM
- Terrell Smith, 17, Atlanta, GA
- Rondell Goppy, 41, Queens, NY
- Ellis Frye Jr., 62, Culpeper, VA
- Cory Donell Truxillo, Houma, LA
- Mickee McArthur, 28, Ferry Pass, FL
- Udofia Ekom-Abasi, Phoenix, AZ
- James David Hawley, 47, Pineville, LA
- Kevin Fox, 28, Detroit, MI
- Dominique Harris, 20, St. Petersburg, FL
- Maurice Jackson, 42, Phoenix, AZ
- Andre K. Sterling, 35, Bronx, NY
- Casey Christopher Goodson Jr., 23, Columbus, OH
- Kwamaine O’Neal, 47, Toledo, OH
- Mark Brewer, 28, St. Louis, MO
- Donald Edwin Saunders, 37, Dayton, OH
- Thomas Reeder III, 44, Flint, MI
- Joseph R. Crawford, 23, Fort Atkinson, WI
- Joshua Feast, 22, La Marque, TX
- Charles E. Jones, 36, Houston, TX
- Bennie Edwards, 60, Oklahoma City, OK
- Jeremy Daniels, 29, Concord Mills, NC
- Johnny Bolton, 49, Smyrna, GA
- Larry Taylor, 39, Mobile, AL
- Andre Maurice Hill, 47, Columbus, OH
- Isaac Frazier, 31, Houston, TX
- Sheikh Mustafa Davis, 20, Midway, GA
- Shamar Ogman, 30, Hartford, CT
- Marquavious Rashod Parks, 26, Davisboro, GA
- Larry Hamm, 47, Denver, CO
- Helen Jones, 47, Phoenix, AZ
- Jason Cooper, 28, Charleston, SC
- Jaquan Haynes, 18, Atlanta, GA
- Shyheed Robert Boyd, 21, Highland, CA
- Dolal Idd, 23, Minneapolis, MN
- Carl Dorsey III, 39, Newark, NJ
- La Garion Smith, 27, Homestead, FL
- Tre-Kedrian Tyquan White, 20, Richburg, SC
- Vincent Belmonte, 18, Cleveland, OH
- Shawn McCoy, Spokane, WA
- Robert “Lil Rob” Howard, 30, Memphis, TN
- Jason Nightengale, 32, Evanston, IL
- Matthew Oxendine, 46, Pembroke, NC
- Patrick Warren Sr., 52, Killeen, TX
- Lymond Maurice Moses, 30, Wilmington, DE
- Kershawn Geiger, 24, Carmichael, CA
- Reginald Johnson, 48, Biloxi, MS
- Zonterious Johnson, 24, Lawton, OK
- Christopher Harris, 27, Toledo, OH
- Eusi Malik Kater Jr., 21, Titusville, AL
- Tyree Kajawn Rogers, 38, Wichita Falls, TX
- Randy Miller, Los Angeles, CA
- Roger D. Hipskind, 37, Wabash, IN
- Karl Walker, 29, Dixon, CA
- Marvon Payton Jr., 27, Las Vegas, NV
- Jenoah Donald, 30, Hazel Dell, WA
- Dontae Green, 34, Baltimore, MD
- Treyh Webster, 18, Mobile, AL
- Christopher Hagans, 36, Stratford, CT
- Andrew Hogan, 25, Trotwood, OH
- Dustin Demaurean Powell, 34, Lakeview, TX
- Gregory Taylor, 45, Seattle, WA
- Jordan Walton, 21, Austin, TX
- Brandon Wimberly, Coral Gables, FL
- Daverion Kinard, 29, Fontana, CA
- Arnell States, 39, Cedar Rapids, IA
- Benjamin Tyson, 35, Baltimore, MD
- Donald Francis Hairston, 44, Culpeper, VA
- Chandra Moore, 55, Detroit, MI
- Andrew Teague, 43, Columbus, OH
- Howayne Gale, 35, Lakeland, FL
- Tyshon Jones, 29, Rochester, NY
- Tyrell Wilson, 32, Danville, CA
- Nika Nicole Holbert, 31, Nashville, TN
- Christopher Ruffin, 28, Palm Bay, FL
- Daryl Lenard Jordan, 50, Miami, FL
- Kevin L. Duncan, 38, Bellefontaine, OH
- Frankie Jennings, 32, Charlotte, NC
- Travon Chadwell, 18, Chicago, IL
- Malcolm D. Johnson, 31, Kansas City, MO
- Donovan W. Lynch, 25, Virginia Beach, VA
- Matthew Blaylock, 38, Los Angeles, CA
- Michael Leon Hughes, 32, Jacksonville, FL
- Willie Roy Allen, 57, Lithonia, GA
- DeShawn Latiwon Tatum, 25, Rock Island, IL
- Noah R. Green, 25, Washington, D.C.
- Diwone Wallace, 24, Alorton, IL
- Gabriel Casso, 21, Bronx, NY
- Desmon Montez Ray, 28, Birmingham, AL
- Dominique Williams, 32, Takoma Park, MD
- James Lionel Johnson, 38, Takoma Park, MD
- James Alexander, 24, Philadelphia, PA
- Raheem Reeder, Tallahassee, FL
- DeShund Tanner, 31, Georgetown, KY
- Faustin Guetigo, 27, Rockford, IL
- Daunte Wright, 20, Brooklyn Center, MN
- Miles Jackson, 27, Westerville, OH
- Mathew Zadok Williams, 35, Decatur, GA
- Anthony Thompson Jr., 17, Knoxville, TN
- Pier Alexander Shelton, 28, Bremen, GA
- Lindani Myeni, 29, Honolulu, HI
- Innes Lee Jr., 25, Cleveland, OH
- Roderick Inge, 29, Tuscaloosa, AL
- Larry Jenkins, 52, Winter Haven, FL
- Name withheld by police, 31, Fort Worth, TX
- Dequan Cortez Glenn, 24, Douglasville, GA
- Doward Sylleen Baker, 39, Dothan, AL
- Ma’Khia Bryant, 16, Columbus, OH
- Andrew Brown, 42, Elizabeth City, NC
- Tory Casey, 41, Rosenberg, TX
- Michael Lee McClure, 26, Billings, MT
- Marvin Veiga, 32, Nashville, TN
- Hanad Abidaziz, 25, Kansas City, MO
- Terrance Maurice Parker, 36, Washington, D.C.
- Eric Derrell Smith, 30, Biloxi, MS
- La’Mello Parker, three months, Biloxi, MS
- Latoya Denis James, 37, Woodbine, GA
- Ashton Pinkee, 27, Mesquite, TX
- Adonis Traughber, 54, Clarksville, TN
- Kalon Horton, 29, Leicester, MA
- Lance Lowe, 30, Stockton, CA
- Tyrone Penny, 21, Decatur, GA
- Darion M. Lafayette, 24, Champaign, IL
- Kortnee Lashon Warren, 23, Albany, GA
Other reading:
Megan Guza, “‘We are never going to be tired’ – South Hills protest organizer vows continued fight over racial injustice” (Jun. 11, 2020). Trib Total Media.
Channing Capacchione, “Peaceful Protests in Pittsburgh grow to 600 people, led by Activist Camille Redman” (Jun. 25, 2020). WeINSPIRE Movement.
