Of the numerous “unprecedented” events and trends of 2020, the weekly Stand for Justice in Northfield in many ways exemplifies the hopes, fears and deep divisions in our country.

Starting mid-June in response to George Floyd’s murder at the hands of police, from 45 to 70 folks showed up all summer with Black Lives Matter, Not One More and Justice for All and other banners. Once the Creamie closed and cooler weather set in, our numbers as well as the traffic dropped, but we picked up again as threats to our democracy and a potential coup seemed possible.

The messaging changed to include Defend Democracy. By last Sunday, we were down to seven with the broader, inclusive message of Justice.

The reactions always included honks, waves, thumbs up, smiles, raised fist, and, rolling coal, the middle finger, screaming all lives matter and thumbs down. Generally speaking, the positive outweighed the negative. We noted N.Y., Conn., Mass., Vt. and N.H. plates.

Since this format does not lend itself to dialog, we never knew specifically what folks who gave us the middle finger or thumbs down were objecting to. Black lives do not matter? Defend the police? The heck with democracy? Be quiet, you Mass. liberals?

However, twice, drivers did pull over specifically to ask, well, don’t all lives matter? I deeply appreciated the opportunity to speak with one man who pulled over.

When I said, “Of course, all lives matter. But right now, we feel it is important to really shine a light on the deeply different treatment of Black people in the country, in particular the police shootings and the disproportionate impact of COVID on Black and Brown and Indigenous communities. So all lives will matter when all lives do matter equitably.” This one man replied, “OK, I get it. Thanks.”

This small bridge made me feel just a little hopeful. While systemic and structural racism in housing, health care, banking, education, food distribution, employment the criminal legal system will not be resolved by conversations like this, and most take much more time, I do think that we need to examine our own unconscious biases, as this man did, as well as change policy and institutional forces. When folks get together to raise money for, say, Lung Cancer research, the leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S., are they saying Breast Cancer doesn’t matter?

Cate Woolner is a resident of Northfield.