 |
| The call for the youth-led march and rally on Woodstock Square. 400 or more showed up. |
Who
would have thought that the murder by
police of a Black man in a distant city would touch off more than
a week of sustained and militant
action by hundreds of people in McHenry
County, Illinois? That’s right, the suburban/exurban/rural county in the northwest boonies of the Chicago metropolitan area which was 90.1% white by the 2010 Census and until recently an unassailable conservative Republican bastion has been swept up in a
national Black Lives Matter movement
that has seen demonstrations in more 450 cities
and towns across the United States.
Of
course since 2010 the Latino community
has grown and there has even been a modest influx of African Americans but my guess is the 2020 Census will show only
about 2% Black residents.
Activism of all sorts has
been on the rise since the election
of Donald Trump including Women’s March events, March for Our Lives and National School Walk-out anti-gun violence
actions, March for Science and climate
change, immigration justice rallies, and LBGBQ Pride events each of which have turned out hundreds. Meanwhile grass roots progressive Democrats have changed the political landscape carrying the county
for Barack Obama, Senator Tammy Duckworth, and Representative Lauren Underwood.
A
lot of that activity was organized by a small overlapping core of activists,
many of the women and/or gray haired elders like the Old Man who pens this blog.
But
the energy and leadership behind the current wave
of protest has been entirely different—young
people under the age of 25 most of whom have had no relationship with existing
organizations. Inspired by the
nation-wide protests, the local movement was spontaneous and without either charismatic
figure head leadership or organizational backing. Protests in different towns have been
organized independently. Those taking
the lead include Black and Latino high school
and college students but also white youth allies. They also include significant numbers of
LGBTQ and gender queer young people
showing that the movement has a clear understanding of intersectionality.
 |
| A portion of the crowd in Woodstock on Sunday listen to speakers before taking off on a march around the Square. |
Crowds
at marches and rallies in Huntley, Woodstock,
McHenry, Crystal Lake, and Harvard have
included up to 600+ participants, 80-90% young and reflecting the local demographics mostly white. Geezers
like me who have turned out have
been happy to simple foot soldiers in
the struggle taking our cues from collective youth leadership.
All of the actions have been entirely peaceful.
The
first action I participated was in Woodstock on Sunday May 31. There were well over 400 in attendance—enough
to completely and continuously surround the Square in an angry and determined
but entirely peaceful march. Better yet more than 85% of the marchers were
under 25. Many geezers my age stayed home due to health concerns. At 71 years old, I have some of those too and I
got winded after three laps around
the square. Most of the young folks kept up the march for at least an hour and
a half. My granddaughter Mathilda
was born earlier that day and I felt I owed
it to her to leave her with a better
and more just world than the dangerous crappy one into which she was
just born.
 |
| Protesters in Crystal Lake lay face down with hands behind their backs in front of the City Hall.Police Headquarters. |
Yesterday
afternoon I was at an even larger event that began in Crystal Lake’s Veterans Acres Park and marched several
blocks to the City Hall/Police Department and lay down silently on our stomachs
for the nine minutes that George
Floyd had a cop’s knee on his neck. Safe to say Crystal Lake had
never seen anything like that.
A separate
youth led group is planning two days of Crystal
Lake Protests For Black Lives today, June 5 and tomorrow June 6 both beginning
at 11 am at the five way intersection
of Crystal Lake Road, Walkup Road, and Grant Street near The
Cottage pub and will participate in the first civil disobedience in the McHenry County protests—intermittent occupation of the streets. Crystal
Lake Police are not expected to take action against the protestors. The group will then march to the Gazebo by the Metra Station on Woodstock
Street for a short rally.
Details
on Saturday’s march through Crystal Lake’s downtown
and rally at the Gazebo will be announced later. Both days rally speakers will be exclusively Black and other minorities
to lift up often unheard voices.
On
Monday, June 8 McHenry County Faith
Leaders are planning a George Floyd
Memorial Service at 7pm at churches across the county. The faithful
will gather in the Church parking lots
or on the grounds observing safe social distancing for services to coincide
with the public viewing at The Fountain of Praise Church in Houston, Texas where Floyd was an active member before moving to Minneapolis. There will be prayers and eight minutes of
silence in memory of Floyd and other
victims of racial oppression. The
congregations will acknowledge their own privilege and repudiate the systematic
racism embedded in their churches. Check with your own church to see if it is
participating.
 |
| McHenry County Faith Leaders plan George Floyd Memorial Services at churches in McHenry County. |
The Tree of Life Unitarian Universalist
Congregation, 5603 Bull Valley Road in McHenry will host one of the memorial
services on its grounds.
The
is so much going on now in McHenry County that it entirely possible that other local actions have been planned
that I don’t yet know about. Keep your eyes peeled for them.
And
thanks for the new generation
showing us all the way. They/we/I are not giving up!
