Although it was the hottest day of the year so far, that didn’t stop hundreds of people from gathering in Virginia Park in Hopkinsville for the “How Will You Push For Change” rally.
Community leaders and citizens, elected officials, ministers, law enforcement, protestors and more gathered peacefully at the steps of the structure in the park at East Ninth Street. Several were wearing shirts with the words “I Can’t Breathe” on them, in honor of George Floyd, who was killed in Minnesota while a police officer held him to the ground with a knee to his neck for over eight minutes.
There were many guest speakers, including the keynote speaker Reverend Perry Greenwade, who says that enough is enough and its past time to confront injustice.
Hopkinsville Police Officer Mike Atkins spoke about what it felt like to witness Floyd’s death, both as a police officer and as a black man. He says people need to do more than rally—they need make sure they’re voting in people who have their best interest at heart.
Not forgotten was Louisville native and EMT Breonna Taylor, who was shot to death March 13 by Louisville police who were serving a no-knock warrant at her home.
Terry Willis of Huntsville, Alabama is walking from Alabama to Minnesota to speak out against these deaths and others, saying that what he saw at the rally in Hopkinsville gives him the strength to go on.
Graduates of the class of 2020 were recognized and honored at the event, and there was a strong push for everyone to register to vote, and then make sure they go out and vote in every election. Participants took a moment to take in the fact that slaves were once sold in that very location—Saturday, it was witness to a gathering of men and women of every race, joined together to fight against injustice.
