Last June 3,
following the killing of George Floyd, Roosevelt Island young people organized
an inspiring Black Lives Matter March For Justice
BLM, Roosevelt Island
pic.twitter.com/rU6FNUNP8f— Minnehanonck (@minnehanonck)
June 3, 2020
from the Cornell Tech campus to Good Shepherd Plaza where they took a knee in
silence for 9 minutes.
Taking a knee for 9 minutes at Roosevelt Island March For Justice. Residents
of all colors together. NYPD officers too. Fantastic job by the young
Roosevelt Island youth organizers. Very proud of them.
pic.twitter.com/noAh1ZtULu— Roosevelt Islander (@Rooseveltisland)
June 3, 2020
Roosevelt Island Residents Association
(RIRA) Children, Youth & Education Committee Chair Adib Mansour was one of
many very impressed with the young Roosevelt Island March For Justice
organizers.
Thalia St. Hubert, 20, organized the peaceful demonstration Wed. night on Roosevelt Island, NY. “To bring my small community together, to fight for something we believe in, is just so powerful.” pic.twitter.com/NzVPANZC09
— Sharon Otterman (@sharonNYT) June 4, 2020
Last July, shortly after the March For Justice,
Mr Mansour wrote:
I was very touched to see the youth of the island react to the racial
injustice in our country; I was brought to tears to see the youth and the
community taking the knee for 9 minutes on June 3rd during the March they
organized.I was born in Lebanon during the civil war there and I know what it feels to
fear being in the wrong place at the wrong time, to feel fear in my bones
when leaving the safety of my house. The March reminded me of a pledge I
took long ago… to fight for freedom, peace and love. I see a lot of
parallels in current times, where black people are targeted and killed, even
by the authorities that are supposed to protect them. I took the pledge
again after the June 3rd March, and that this committee I chair will always
be learning on how to bring change and increasing racial equity in our
community and our city. As the chair of RIRA’s Children, Youth &
Education Committee I am making the commitment that we will be engaging in
activities and actions that support our black youth and make sure that we
are addressing systematic racial injustices.
Following the April 20 conviction
of former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George
Floyd, Mr Mansour adds:
Here’s are more scenes from the
June 3 Roosevelt Island March For Justice
and the RIRA Zoom conversation with March organizers.