Rally to End Violence, South Royalton

The Rally to End Violence, held on the Green in South Royalton on June 6, 2020, drew some 600 people from the town and environs, joined together -- while masked and moderately social-distancing -- to protest racist acts of violence and in support of Black Lives, Indigenous Americans, and other marginalized groups and people of color. In commemoration of the tragic killing of George Floyd by police officers in Minneapolis, the crowd remained silent, meditative, and prayerful for 8 minutes, kneeling or lying down on the grass. Speakers included representatives of the BIPOC (Black and Indigenous People of Color), the group that organized the rally, and Shirley Jefferson, Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Diversity at SoRo's Vermont Law School. Jefferson also gave a stirring rendition of "Oh, Freedom," an anthem of the Civil Rights Movement. For that somber evening the signs of protest overshadowed the yellow placards congratulating the town's high school graduates.

Bonnie Tocher Clause

June 6, 2020

Bonnie Tocher Clause