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Protesters at a Black Lives Matter march laid down for eight minutes and 46 seconds to mark the amount of time George Floyd was held down before dying. (Reporter photo/Keith McCoy)

By NATHAN HOWELL | Special to the Reporter

MONTEVALLO – With the current national conversation of racial justice and equality in mind, residents of Montevallo peacefully marched through the city’s streets in support of these ideals on June 27.

The march was organized by Montevallo resident Courtney Goodwin, who said that her goal was “the community coming together with unity and love to show our support for Black Lives Matter and against all injustice.”

The peaceful march began behind the Jack’s and followed a path down to Orr Park, where the march concluded and turned into a speaking event and demonstration.

One of the most striking parts of the protest was a demonstration in remembrance of George Floyd, whose death sparked nationwide protests.

This demonstration saw the protestors lay down on the ground for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, which is how long Floyd was held down before dying.

During this demonstration one of the speakers, De’Quastaye Camon, read a spoken word that she wrote inspired by the video of Floyd’s death. Floyd’s last words were also chanted by the group in a show of solidarity with the victims of such events.

“It’s time we stop just using our words to tell someone we love them,” Goodwin said. “It’s time we back it up with actions. We see in the news all the protests that have gone wrong, whether by rioting or by police brutality. We need to see more stories on the news about the good that can come from this movement.”

The event demonstrated that people of all genders, races and ages could come together peacefully for the common goal of equality and justice for all.

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