El Dorado residents gathered over the weekend and on Monday to demonstrate against police brutality and to recognize the killing of George Floyd, 46, at the hands of Minneapolis police. A range of viewpoints were expressed by demonstrators, not all of which made it into the News-Times’ event coverage.
Here are more thoughts from our community:
Anthony Farris-King, of El Dorado, attended a rally Sunday, May 31 at El Dorado City Hall: “The protest was very peaceful. We had both black and white people there. We had white people to stop and donate cases of water. And on the flip side, we had some people flip us off while driving. But there was so much love. It’s great to know that love reaches further than hate.”
Farris-King also shared a memory of an encounter he had with law enforcement officers in central Arkansas several years ago: “It could have been me once upon a time. In central Arkansas, I was pulled over by a cop for speeding. Once he went back to his car with my information, six more police cars came up and they took forever to come back to my window. Turns out that as they were calling my name in, it kept coming back as Anthony Farris, who was supposedly a known felon. But luckily one of the cops knew who I was and knew that I was a different person. Mr. Floyd could have been me.”
He said he hopes rallies locally and around the country can show the nation’s leadership that enough is enough: “I just hope the voice of not only black people but the voice of America is heard. I also hope they look past the violent protests that have been carried out. We have been peaceful up until last week and, not just black people, but it seems like America has had enough.”
Joanna Benson also attended Sunday’s rally at City Hall: “I took part in the peaceful protest because I do not want my African-American friends to feel like they are fighting a battle alone. We as human beings should be able to see by now that there is a continued problem of racial injustice and racial inequality in this country. My mom always told me ‘to treat others like you want to be treated’ and that’s the motto I try to live by.”
Pastor Kelly Owens attended rallies Sunday and Monday at City Hall and Old City Park, respectively. His son, Jeremy Owens helped to organize. He said he’s proud to see young people supporting a cause of non-violence: “It tells me they’re keeping up with current events and reacting this way.”
Margie Owens, Jeremy’s mother and Kelly’s wife, said violence can stain a person’s soul: “The Bible says ‘thou shalt not kill.’ When you kill, you’re going against God.”
Katie Yutzy helped to organize rallies on Saturday and Monday at Old City Park: “After George Floyd, we’d been feeling pressed that we had to do something. We’ve had nothing but good vibes (at the demonstrations). I hope that black people will see that we stand with them and I hope to change some ignorant minds.”
Jacarllus Hill helped demonstrators register to vote Monday at Old City Park. He said he keeps voter registration forms on hand, and they are also available at the Union County Courthouse; he also reminded people that there are absentee voting options available for those concerned about a potential second wave of COVID-19 in the fall: “Go to vote and elect people who are for ending police brutality and want to bring about social and economic justice. For anyone that’s not registered to vote, if there is anything you think needs changing, go and register to vote. This isn’t going to end until we go out and do something about it.”
James Goode is a deputy at the Union County Sheriff’s Office. He attended rallies on Sunday and Monday at City Hall and Old City Park: “I’m a big supporter of non-violent protest. I definitely support black lives matter. My fiance grew up being discriminated against in California for being mixed(-race)… Police officers should show support as well, in light of what happened. I think the unity of all of us together is how we move forward as a community.”
Robert Galven attended a demonstration Monday at Old City Park: “I just think it’s a very important issue. It’s been going on for way too long and they just keep blowing it off. They want to keep the status quo. We feel like we don’t have any security in this country. I think it’s a terrible thing.”
Gabrielle Burger was at Monday’s demonstration at Old City Park with her children, Samuel Johnson and Michael Camel, and Jacob Johnson, their dad: “We came out because, like I told them (her children), there’s some bad stuff going on and we don’t stand for it. United we stand, divided we fall. I brought them because I wanted them to experience ‘this is what a protest is. We’re going to unite with other people and try to make a change.’”
Emma Hayes and Jordan Stinson attended Monday’s demonstration together with Katie Carruth. Hayes said she was there “to take action.” Stinson said “This is wrong and something needs to be done.”
Tyler Hansen was at Monday’s demonstration with a sign that read the names of black people killed unlawfully at the hands of police and vigilantes. In the middle, the sign asked ‘Where is the justice?’: “I’m tired of seeing unarmed black people getting killed for no reason. I don’t feel comfortable sitting in the house while this keeps happening.”
Radiance Peterson attended Monday’s demonstration with her mother, Denise Brown, and nephew, Hayden Brown. Denise Brown said her grandfather, Grady Tatum, had been killed by police in El Dorado in 1991 when an officer mistook his cane for a gun while responding to a robbery that took place at Tatum’s home: “There’s injustice for black people. Not just injustice — oppression. Everything leads to this. People say black people commit more crimes without looking at the reasons for it. Black people commit little crimes and get harsher punishments. It’s not just the death of one person or all the ones this year, but the whole system. El Dorado PD is pretty good. That officer who did that (killed Tatum) was transferred.”
Timothy Wilson attended Monday’s rally at Old City Park: “I just want to make a positive influence and I’m wanting to be about action. It’s good to see the young man asking if people are registered to vote (Jacarllus Hill). That makes a difference.”
Kyree Tubbs brought his daughter, Jah’leah, to Monday’s demonstration at Old City Park: “I just came out to show my support. It isn’t just about black lives matter, it’s about every life. I just hope we get along. I’m against rioting; that’s what it’s taking for everyone to realize they’re fed up with police brutality.”
Raquel Utsey came to Monday’s demonstration at Old City Park with her three children, Ryel Sanders, Zoe Meeks and Zalex Meeks: “I’ve seen a lot. I have family that are cops and family who aren’t. I really just want us to be able to come together. There’s one God and I think God is trying to talk to us.”
Janice Bush, president of the local chapter of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), went to Sunday’s demonstration at City Hall: “I thought it was very peaceful and there were a lot of community members there — they mayor was there, the sheriff was there, the police department, some of the ministers were there. … It was informative and it made people aware that we are concerned about (police brutality).”
Bush said she hopes to see long-term changes to the systems of institutional racism that have made Floyd’s killing all too familiar to black Americans: “Things need to change. We cannot continue to turn our heads and accept this type of behavior from anybody — not only the police, but our representatives we elect, judges who pass unfair laws and things like that that affect minorities. I think that’s the message that it (the demonstration) sent. I think it was more of an awareness, an awakening. What happened to Mr. Floyd was not a surprise, and that’s sad. It happens so often that that’s what you expect. That’s the sad part. It should have been a shock, but it was not — not to African-Americans or other minorities, it was not a shock, because this is what happens.”
She said the protests around the country show that many Americans are united in the cause against police brutality and divisive language from leaders only makes things harder: “I think it’s a good thing that they’re having the protests and letting people know that this is something that needs to change; we need to find a better way. As far as people who are doing things that are unlawful, I think they need to be taken into account — not shot, as the President said. … He made that comment about ‘good people on both sides’ in Charleston, but there were no good people here according to him. I think this type of rhetoric that he has used has caused people to be inflamed more.”
Bush related a story about a resident of Minneapolis, who said they’d feared for their life in an encounter with Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin, the officer who pinned Floyd to the street for over eight minutes with his knee on Floyd’s neck until Floyd died: “He said he kept thinking ‘if I was black, I would have been dead.’ That is horrible for any child to think, that the only reason they weren’t shot was because of the color of their skin. Children need to have a faith and trust in the people that lead us. … This generation doesn’t see that, and I think that has a lot to do with the protests. They don’t see leadership.”
Bush called for town hall meetings and open forums where issues of racial tension can be discussed among El Dorado residents. She said she wants the community to be proactive, so tragedies like George Floyd’s killing may be avoided in the city’s future. She said she thinks the school district should include more cultural education in their curriculum, as well.
“I was very disappointed to see the accounting of City Council in Sunday’s paper. That was very disturbing to me,” she said, referencing a story in the May 31 edition of the News-Times about a specially called City Council meeting where a motion to approve a political appointee selected by Mayor Veronica Smith-Creer received no seconds. “These are people we elect to handle our business. … We’re trying to grow. People are not only trying to watch the police, but being aware of what everyone’s doing. Institutional racism is still happening. … El Dorado is a peaceful place. We’re not like everywhere else. We have a tendency to talk for a while and get everything out — that’s what makes El Dorado unique.”