El Dorado residents say black lives matter

Kelly Owens waves at passers-by during a demonstration against police brutality at Old City Park on Monday, June 1.
Kelly Owens waves at passers-by during a demonstration against police brutality at Old City Park on Monday, June 1.

Rallies were held in El Dorado over the weekend and continued yesterday in recognition of the Memorial Day police killing of George Floyd, a 46 year-old black man who lived in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

On May 25, Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin pinned Floyd to the ground, with Chauvin’s knee on Floyd’s neck, for over eight minutes as Floyd pleaded that he couldn’t breathe; Floyd died as a result. Chauvin was charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter Friday, May 29.

Since last week, across the country, protests over Floyd’s killing have taken place. In Little Rock, tear gas was deployed by police in riot gear as residents there gathered on Interstate 630 and at the state Capitol, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott imposed a 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. curfew for the city yesterday, saying COVID-19 guidelines weren’t followed at protests the preceding days and that he’d received intelligence of out-of-state agitators planning to attend demonstrations there.

In El Dorado, three demonstrations against police brutality have taken place since Saturday; all were peaceful and required no police intervention, although there was a police presence at some.

On Saturday, a small group of El Dorado residents took to Old City Park with signs bearing phrases like “Black is a color, not a crime” and “One Love.” Organizer Corey Epperson said he hoped the demonstration would show that the community will not stand for police brutality.

“With unity and passion, we can overcome this and anything else that may arise,” he said. “Our community has been fortunate enough to not have experienced this sort of hatred on the level that we’ve seen in other parts of our nation, and basically, we won’t tolerate it.”

photo

Corey Epperson, Katie Yutzy and other local residents demonstrate against police brutality on Saturday, May 31 at Old City Park.

The demonstration started out with three people holding signs at the park, and throughout the time they were there, between 10 and 13 more people showed up to voice their support, Epperson said. While the turnout was relatively low, Epperson said he thinks the protest made an impact.

“I feel that we reached quite a few people and I hope this message continues forward,” he said.

On Sunday, a second rally was held at City Hall in El Dorado. This time, about 100 people showed up, organizer Jeremy Owens said.

“Some people stayed the whole three or four hours we were there. Some people dropped off water,” he said.

Owens, an El Dorado native, said he was driven to demonstrate by his children. He said he has found himself repeating speeches he heard from his parents in the 90s about staying safe in encounters with law enforcement to his eight year-old son and 14 year-old daughter, 30 years later, and wanted to bring the community together in solidarity against police brutality.

“They’re getting older and I’m not there to protect them as much as I was a few years ago. Things change. From Trayvon Martin when they were five, six and now they’re 10, 11 and they’re playing sports, going with their friends,” he said. “I have to give them these talks about the things my parents talked to me about — what to say to authorities, how to act — and knowing it very well might save a life or it very well might not make a difference.”

Trayvon Martin was killed at 17 years-old in Florida; his death became a flashpoint for Americans, and particularly African-Americans, when George Zimmerman, who killed him, did not face charges until five months after the fact.

Owens said he’s aware of incidents that have happened in south Arkansas between police and citizens — “not as unjust or egregious as in Minnesota or Ferguson (Missouri, where Michael Brown was killed by a police officer)” — and wanted to show that the community can and will come together to stand against such injustice.

photo

Jeremy Owens speaks during a demonstration against police brutality held Sunday, May 31 at El Dorado City Hall.

“Those people in Minnesota weren’t thinking that was going to happen last week, and the same thing could happen here in Small Town, USA. If someone’s life is taken away by an officer, that’s when people want to protest, but we need to let people know that our lives matter whether it’s in south Arkansas, Minnesota, Ferguson, Washington D.C., anywhere,” he said. “Our kids have questions about what’s happening. I have to get a grip and take some action myself. … I can’t just kick back and not say anything.”

Union County Sheriff Ricky Roberts and several UCSO deputies as well as some El Dorado Police officers stood with protesters Sunday at City Hall; Mayor Veronica Smith-Creer and some members of the El Dorado City Council were also in attendance.

“I was glad to see the representation of our community — different races, different ages. The Police Department was there and there were officers from the Sheriff’s Office that stood with us,” Smith-Creer said. “It ended at 7 and Jeremy offered a prayer. It was what it was supposed to be — people coming together. … It’s what our community, to me, is.”

The demonstration wasn’t entirely without negativity — some people flipped off the group of demonstrators as they passed by on North West Avenue, Owens said; however, the group gathered at City Hall was peaceful and communal, and no incidents occurred during the demonstration. Holding the event at City Hall was a statement in and of itself; as a central spot in the city representing local democracy, it seemed like the perfect place, he said.

Owens said peacefully protesting is the right idea. He said it’s important to build up the community rather than tear it down.

“I have mixed feelings about the way things are going on, even in Little Rock, just a few miles away … We already lost one life, that’s why we’re protesting, and now you’re putting other lives at risk. We have children and people out here just trying to be seen,” he said. “You don’t want to burn down the community you were raised in.”

He said the message he wanted to get across by protesting was simple: wearing a badge isn’t a free pass.

“I want them to have that thought that ‘if I do this to this person, to this citizen who I’m supposed to be protecting — if I hurt them intentionally and knowing it’s not something in my job duties — that I can be fired, I can be put in jail, I can be sued. I’m not above the law myself,’” he said. “That’s where we want the injustice to stop. Do your job and leave it at that. … Just because you’re law enforcement doesn’t mean you’re above the law yourself.”

Another rally was held Monday at Old City Park. About 50 people attended. Caleb Baumgardner said he was glad to see local residents coming together for black lives.

“How many unarmed black men and black women have we seen killed by the police for no good reason over the past few years? What happened to George Floyd … it seems to have finally touched a nerve, because black lives matter,” he said. “If this is what it takes to eliminate some systemic racism and oppression in our country, then I’m for it. We won’t change ‘til we change.”

Yesterday’s demonstration was organized by Epperson and Katie Yutzy, who also helped organize Saturday’s event, and Jake Smith, all El Dorado natives like Owens. Smith said he hoped the demonstration would bring El Dorado residents together and foster a community spirit that might prevent a tragedy like Floyd’s death from happening locally.

“I hoped a loud statement of unity could ease our quiet divisions and show everyone in El Dorado that we stand together against police brutality and racial inequality,” Smith said. “Racism can’t survive contact, so I believe the best way to combat it is to bring people together.”

Jacarllus Hill was in attendance helping demonstrators register to vote. He said he’s glad to see the protests and wants to encourage those who are moved by it to exercise their power at the voting booth this year.

“The biggest issue we face is not just police brutality, but systemic oppression across the board … The Bible says faith without works is dead; protesting is a show of our faith, but a vote is how we work for it,” Hill said. “Generally, when more people vote, it elects younger, more diverse politicians. It will help get people in office more connected to the causes we care about … This isn’t going to end until we go out and do something about it.”

photo

Jacarllus Hill helps a local resident register to vote during a demonstration against police brutality on June 1 at Old City Park.

Jeremy Owens’ parents, Kelly and Margie, both attended Monday’s demonstration, as did he. Kelly Owens said he was proud to see the community come together over the cause of non-violence. Throughout the afternoon, Kelly Owens carried a bucket with cold water and sodas, candies and snacks to offer to those there.

“We’re here supporting non-violence. I’m also a pastor here in town, and this lets me put my words into action,” he said. “When you like something that’s good, you’ll do something that’s good.”

“We’re praying for world peace, that we can come together as brothers and sisters,” Margie Owens added. “There’s other ways we can get things done without a gun. When I was little, my mother always told me that if you take someone’s life, it’s like a shadow that follows you.”

Denise Brown was there with her daughter, Radiance Peterson, and nephew Hayden Brown. She said her grandfather, Grady Tatum, was killed by a police officer in El Dorado in 1991 when the officer responded to his home in reference to a robbery; Tatum was the victim of the robbery. Brown said her family didn’t see justice for that incident, and while she thinks the EPD is professional, the movement against police brutality remains close to her heart.

“I feel like as black people, we should be treated as equals. I don’t want to be known because of my skin. I want to be judged by the content of my character,” she said, quoting Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s historic “I have a dream” speech. “I hope that this will open the eyes of people to see what we’ve been through. … I want people not to look at the color of our skin.”

Union County Sheriff Ricky Roberts said he supported the demonstrations and spoke against the Minneapolis Police Department, which had received several complaints against Chauvin before Floyd’s death that went unanswered.

“We understand the anger that is felt throughout our community. We joined our community in the peaceful protest to send the message that law enforcement officers are not above the law; that we are entrusted to uphold the law and this rogue officer causing the death of Mr. Floyd will not be tolerated,” Roberts said. “The UCSO is committed to serve everyone in our community with dignity and respect. Together we are Union County Strong.”

photo

Ryel Sanders, front, stands with a sign bearing a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during a demonstration against police brutality at Old City Park Monday, June 1. Her mother, Raquel Utsey, is pictured behind her.

The Black Lives Matter movement (sometimes stylized as #blacklivesmatter) began with Martin’s killing and has continued to protest uneven criminal justice and police brutality following high-profile killings of other black people, including Eric Garner, Sandra Bland, Philando Castile, Freddie Gray, Ahmaud Arbery and Breona Taylor, to name just a few. The movement has been led by grassroots organizers working in their respective communities.

Upcoming Events