First and foremost, thanks to all who have sent in recommendations. Please reference the previous post for an updated list of recommendations to help educate and build awareness around what it means to be a person of color in America.
Last night was Bozeman's second peaceful Black Lives Matter protest honoring the black lives taken by police officers, including Breonna Taylor who would have been 27 yesterday, and the issue of systemic racism in America. Thousands gathered downtown for racial equity. With estimates the crowd was well over 3,000, the rally was the largest on record in the city.
To properly social distance, the Hubs, Henry and I stayed on the fringe of the crowd of participants. We and the other protesters wore masks to protect ourselves from the worldwide pandemic of COVID-19 that still continues although our state has some of the lowest cases reported.
Despite the energy and momentum of the protesters, it was clear we still have a lot of work to do. There were multiple trucks with Trump flags making laps around the protest blaring music. There was a group of all white people protesting that black lives matter with guns on their backs and a hammer. There was a truck with a Trump hat in the windshield tailing and revving its engine behind a car with a black family inside including young children.
And although the counter protesters were vastly out numbered, I was scared as a white woman of privilege. I can't even begin to know what it feels like and has felt like for centuries as a person of color. I'm encouraged white people are finally showing up, ourselves included, but it's time to get to work.
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