Activities surrounding a noon Saturday march in support of the Black Lives Matter movement started with a pre-dawn cleanup.
An event organizers called the “Solidarity Peace Walk,” was Sylva’s third event following the May 25 death of Minneapolis, Minnesota man George Floyd while under arrest.
Before dawn, Jackson County residents Anthony Bezmen, Robbie Crisp and Colton Williford rushed to the courthouse fountain with paint reducer and brushes to clean up vandalism they had seen moments before on Facebook.
Earlier in the morning, unknown persons spray-painted two messages – “Blank Lives Matter” and “Floyd was a thug” – along the backs of the concrete benches surrounding the fountain.
The Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident, since it is on county property, and requests anyone with information call Crime Stoppers at 631-1125.
The Solidarity Peace Walk was organized by Utah native Jade Green, Erykah Lasha and Molly Haithcock of Franklin, and Western Carolina University student Andrea Recinos Flores, from Guatemala.
The event began at noon at Bridge Park, where roughly 250 people congregated in front of the gazebo before they began walking.
“I think it sends a really strong message that people are willing to show up somewhere small like Sylva as well as in big cities,” Asheville resident and WCU student Savannah Woodard said. “I think it shows that we have a sense of community here and that we will show up for our black and POC (people of color) community members.”
County Commissioner Gayle Woody attended the walk.
“I am here today because I really support the idea behind this demonstration: that black lives do matter,” she said. “Also, as an elected official, I wanted to see for myself what was going on, not hear about it second- or third-hand.”
“I want to make a change in the world that I’m living in and will probably raise kids in,” Sylva resident and UNC-Chapel Hill student Ajani McIntosh said. “It’s been the same thing for 400-plus years at this point. We’re (African-Americans) tired.”
Flemming Holt of Sylva came to the event with a sign pledging support from Queer Appalachia.
“I would say that still to this day this area is overall not largely accepting of the queer community, just as they are not accepting of people of color,” Holt said. “We understand the struggle of being outsiders in our own home.”
“The African-American community stood up for the queer community many times and it is time to turn around and do the same for them,” her husband, Kenyon Holt, said.
Sylva resident Liana Constantino headed a team of volunteer street medics to provide medical support, water and snacks for protesters.
“Until black lives matter, no lives matter,” Constantino said. “We’re here to try and maintain life.”
The WCU chapter of fraternity Pi Lambda Phi provided free water, snacks and sunscreen.
Nantahala resident Sarah Cochran sold “Solidarity in WNC” stickers, decals and shirts, donating proceeds to organizations supporting black and indigenous people.
“I particularly want to shape the experiences of children and young people, people who are going to be the future,” Cochran said. “In order to change the future we have to start now.”
The crowd began marching at 12:45 p.m. west on Mill Street, up Schulman Street and made a loop down West Main Street and back up Mill Street to Bridge Park.
Among other things, they chanted, “No justice, no peace, no racist police,” “I can’t breathe,” and the names of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Taylor was killed March 13 in her home in Louisville, Kentucky when police executed a no-knock search warrant.
The route the protesters took meant they never crossed paths with a group of quiet non-participants at the fountain.
About 10 in total were gathered to support #AllLivesMatter, they said. They also planned to protect the Confederate monument.
“We’re here to make sure the monument doesn’t get taken down and that it takes no damage,” K.C. Smith said. “The statue is part of the heritage of the people of the mountains that actually fought, that kept the North out on this front, at least for a while.”
When the marchers returned to Bridge Park, a series of speakers took the stage.
Cochran told a story about a black man who boarded a bus she was riding and said, “I’m not going to rob anyone,” and asked for help. No one responded, she said.
“Your small acts of kindness matter so much,” Cochran went on to say. “Especially to people who see the lack of them all the time.”
After the scheduled speakers, a few crowd members spoke. Sylva resident Michael McIntosh, father of Ajani, spoke first.
“When you get in your car, do you pull out your driver’s license and registration and put it on the dash?” he asked. “When you see a sheriff’s car, are you scared to death? No, you are not, because that is your privilege. But this is what we (African Americans) live every day. Staying in the streets? Yeah, that’s OK, but what we have to do is get legislation. It doesn’t change with anything else.”
