From the Greenfield Common to the police station on High Street, thousands of area residents peacefully took to the streets last weekend to stand in solidarity against systemic racism spurred by recent acts of police brutality — raising their voices in unison with countless others who demonstrated in similar fashion around the globe.
While the gatherings were diverse, the message was the same.
“We are here today, not for revenge, but for equality,” said Brieanna Arsenault, who organized the Greenfield event with Autumn Upham. “We are here for justice.”
It’s a message this newspaper’s editorial board supports.
For those who aren’t directly impacted by discrimination, it’s easy to dismiss racism as being a bane of the past. The recent killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and others have once again put the issue in the public spotlight.
Like a cockroach that will not die, systemic racism continues to pervade our society. It never left.
To move forward once and for all, America as a nation must actively confront its dark past — from the genocide of the Middle Passage and Native people to the horror of slavery, to the Tulsa race massacre, to the thousands of Americans murdered by lynching during the Jim Crow era and the countless other incidents of hate that have played out across our nation since its inception.
Plagued by this terrible history, we must also root out racial prejudice in the present day. It is naive to say that racism was put to bed once and for all during the Civil Rights era by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who was himself murdered because of the color of his skin.
Confronting the sins of our nation’s past and thoughtfully considering our own cultural biases is a difficult endeavor that requires humility. It’s also necessary. There is no place for any kind of discrimination in a society that claims liberty for all.
One way to influence change is through activism, such as that which was exhibited in Greenfield, Ashfield, Shelburne Falls and Northfield. Public protests are as American as the Constitution. In this case, it’s pushing a difficult dialogue to the forefront of public discourse — discrimination within our criminal justice system.
Law enforcement plays an important role in a healthy community. It’s the arm of government that directly interfaces with the public. Because of that, it’s absolutely vital that constituents feel they can trust their local police department.
From coast to coast, this isn’t currently the case.
Notably, the Greenfield Police Department treats constituents with dignity and met activists at this weekend’s protest in a way that respected their Constitutional rights. Even so, we call on the department to work with those residents who are seeking reform and to review its policing practices with transparency in order to unify the region and solidify public trust.
Racism is a disease that threatens our democracy. Addressing discrimination within law enforcement is a start.
At this weekend’s Greenfield protest, Noel Certain, of Dix Hills, New York, summed up the sentiment that so many people are feeling right now: “Black people have been doing this for years, but it’s so good to see America is starting to wise up,” he said. “Never forget, if you’re white: you’re just as free as the most oppressed.”
Hopefully, we’ll see a day when it’s no longer necessary for protesters to take to the streets in order to make their voices heard.