Madhu Krishnamurthy/mkrishnamurthy@dailyherald.comSnaking its way through Elgin streets, a peaceful crowd of Elgin Community College students, faculty and community members marched Thursday in solidarity with #BlackLivesMatter protests across the suburbs and nationwide. Hundreds gathered outside the Elgin Police Department chanting "George Floyd," "Decynthia Clements," "No justice, no peace" and "Black Lives Matter" repeatedly.
A peaceful march started at Elgin Community College's campus Thursday afternoon and snaked its way through neighborhoods to the front steps of the Elgin Police Department.
Scores gathered to march for George Floyd and protest police brutality and the unlawful killing of unarmed black men and women.
"I was really nervous, but now I'm really excited," said ECC student Keyvon Kyles, who organized the march through social media outreach.
Growing up multiracial in Elgin, Kyles said he has experienced racial tension through microagressions.
"I'm not trying to start up nothing crazy, but I really want the youth to be involved," said Kyles, a Larkin High School graduate studying business management at ECC.
Dana Onayemo of Elgin and daughter Mikayla, 14, were among the sea of masked faces, many carrying signs reading #BlackLivesMatter or with the words "I can't breath" on T-shirts and placards quoting Floyd's last words.
He died May 25 while in Minneapolis police custody after being choked to death by a police officer kneeling on his neck.
"It's not an easy fix," Onayemo said of systemic racism. "It's going to take a lot of continued strategic community action."
Snaking it's way through Elgin streets, a peaceful crowd of Elgin Community College students, faculty and community members marched Thursday in solidarity with #BlackLivesMatter protests across the suburbs and nationwide. Hundreds gathered outside the Elgin Police Department chanting "George Floyd," "Decynthia Clements," "No justice, no peace" and "Black Lives Matter" repeatedly.
Madhu Krishnamurthy/mkrishnamurthy@dailyherald.com
Hundreds gathered at Elgin Community College Thursday afternoon to march for George Floyd, protesting police brutality and the unlawful killing of unarmed black men and women. "I was really nervous, but now I'm really excited," said ECC student Keyvon Kyles, who organized the march through social media outreach.
Madhu Krishnamurthy/mkrishnamurthy@dailyherald.com
Dana Onayemo of Elgin, left, and daughter Mikayla, 14, prepare to join a Black Lives Matter march Thursday in Elgin to protest police brutality and systemic racism against the black community. "It's not an easy fix," Onayemo said. "It's going to take a lot of continued strategic community action."
Madhu Krishnamurthy/mkrishnamurthy@dailyherald.com