GREENFIELD — Holding signs of their own design, children have joined the weekly Saturday vigils hosted by Racial Justice Rising on the Greenfield Common to share their own thoughts on the local and national movements.
Racial Justice Rising member Emily Greene said the children, who range in age from 7 to 12 years old, are members of Gloria Matlock’s “Twice as Smart” summer program, and have attended the vigils for the past three weeks. This past weekend, four of the children came with their own handmade signs.
Mason Daigneault, 7, held a sign that read “Racism makes me sad.” Jaden Daigneault, 12, held a sign saying “Don’t let the bullets of racism kill my spirit or yours.”
Smiling under a face shield, Leilany Jackson, 9, held a sign with a message of hope: “It’s time for everybody to be nice to everybody.” Encouraging others to get on board with their message of racial equality, Savanah Daigneault, 10, held a sign reading “I am cool. Racism is not. Because it’s really, really old.”
According to Greene, a local Black Lives Matter group, called the Franklin County Racial Justice Collective, is continuing to build “meaningful requests” for Mayor Roxann Wedegartner, Police Chief Robert Haigh Jr., City Council and School Committee.
“We have been out on the Greenfield Common for two months now to keep the presence of what Greenfield and the country needs to do to make this a place of safety and justice for all,” Greene said. “We will continue to be there and remind people this won’t be over until this white community takes the steps that … the Franklin County Racial Justice Collective feels will make the changes Greenfield needs to see.”
Zack DeLuca can be reached at zdeluca@recorder.com or 413-930-4579.