Community mourns victims of police brutality
El Centro, Calif (KYMA, KECY) - Locals came out to Bucklin Park, in El Centro, to remember the lives lost to police brutality and to call attention to the racism that still exists in this Country.
Hilton Smith, Organizer of Imperial County’s Black Lives Matter (BLM) chapter, says its important to not lose momentum because change is happening.
“So this is to bring awareness of the racial injustice that we have to endure in this country and I am pleased to see that there's a lot of young people getting engaged,”
Young people are leading this fight for equality.
Aeiramique Blake ran for California's 51st Congressional District and is a BLM activist.
“I truly believe though. Now that people are have awakened, that there is going to be a true change on every level, and I'm moved by young people are the people that are going to change this on every level,” Blake said.
“I just want to just really encourage everybody to look in your own heart because sometimes there's things that we don't even realize is there, you know?” Activist Elijah Banaga said.
I also spoke with Elise Puyot, a BLM activist. She explains El Centro's ethnic demographics.
“I feel like black voices aren't heard often in our community because they're the minority over a lot of us, it's 80% latino, latinas here in this community and then the remainder is white, for the most part, so I think it's important to be out here and show our solidarity when we can.”
Activists out here wanting to bring awareness to police brutality and systemic racism.
“Even though we say, listen, I've seen it happened last night, (Atlanta officer shoots unarmed black man) in fact, we've seen how the protesters are being treated for the very thing that we're fighting against, right? I still believe that when we keep fighting and we don't go back to bed, we can make those changes,” Blake added.
If you weren't able to make it out here tonight, BLM of Imperial County currently has a Facebook Fundraiser that was set up to help the most marginalized in the community. You can donate here.
