Web Extra: Voices for Change

The following is an online extra from the "Rising for Justice" feature in our July 2020 issue.

Richmonders are taking to the streets to protest racial injustice and police brutality, resulting in promises from the governor and mayor to remove Confederate monuments — but what comes next? We asked activists, business owners and citizens for their thoughts on what needs to happen to effect lasting change.

Read on for perspectives from:

• Princess Blanding, sister of Marcus David-Peters
• Claire Gastañaga, executive director, ACLU of Virginia
• Daya, student protester from Midlothian
• Tameka Jefferson, Richmond Region Tourism and BLK RVA Action Team member
• Kat McNeal, protester from Richmond
• Ayanna Ogdalez and Kalia Harris, members of Mutual Aid Disaster Relief Richmond
• Stephanie Rizzi, member of the Richmond Transparency and Accountability Project and assistant professor at VCU
• Paul Rucker, artist and TED Fellow
• Jordan Scott, detained by police for violating the city’s curfew
• Shawn Utsey, chair of the Department of African American studies at VCU
• Alex Zavaleta, co-owner, Charm School Social Club
• Amy Wentz, City Council candidate and co-founder of Richmond Black Restaurant Experience
• Marshe’ Wyche, owner, Rumors Boutique

Princess Blanding

Sister of Marcus-David Peters, who was killed by Richmond Police in 2018 during a mental health crisis

I am Marcus-David Peters' sister. I'm also the organizer and leader of Justice and Reformation. Recently, five clear demands were stated. The first demand was the Marcus Alert [calling for mental health professionals to serve as first responders in mental health crises]. The second demand was for a citizens’ review board with subpoena power. The third demand was a community meeting with Mayor Stoney and the city officials to address police policies, procedures and accountability. We had our fourth demand as dropping all of the charges of those members of the community who have been arrested in connection with the recent protests against police. Lastly, [Justice and Reformation demanded] the immediate removal of the five [Confederate] statues on Monument Avenue.

We recognize that these demands are not the only demands, and that there are more voices out there. But I say to my other organizers, and especially to the younger organizers, that marching alone is not effective. That is a piece of the puzzle or a really, really, big piece of the puzzle. But with those margins, we have to have something attached to it, we have to have demand attached to it. So while we're out there, marching for Black Lives Matter, let's keep on doing it, and let's be ready to enhance these steps after that. —As told to Sarah Elson

Claire Gastañaga

Executive director, ACLU of Virginia 

A citywide curfew is an incredibly draconian measure to impose on the people who live here. It should be used only in the most difficult of times, and this was not that.

When police arrested 233 people in one night for breaking the curfew, they put those people in situations without personal protective equipment or social distancing. A jail is a potential hot spot for the virus.

Overall, Virginia is putting more money into police departments at the state and local level than we should if we want to address the real issues. Educational inequity, health inequity, housing inequity — none of that gets addressed by putting more police on the street.

We’ll also want to demand a special session of the state legislature that addresses serious questions about policing and accountability.

Richmond residents should not stay silent. If you go back to Martin Luther King, he talked about how the biggest danger to the movement was moderate white people. Everyone needs to be looking internally to begin to examine their own racism. Everyone needs to be out there, calling out the systemic bias that infects our city. —As told to Anika Mittu

Daya

Rising sophomore at James River High School in Midlothian who captured the moment on video as she and other protesters near the Lee memorial fled from tear gas on June 1

The canisters were exploding, and people were crying like in a horror movie. I ran toward Monroe Park. Residents and businesses along the way would not let protesters in. A white woman stopped running from police and helped wash my eyes out with milk.

It’s really isn’t Black vs. white, it’s everyone vs. racists. The entire world is participating. This is a huge moment in history, and I’m proud to be part of it. We’re angry, and we’re not taking any more of this. Everyone is incredibly invested in this movement. I really don’t know a lot of people who aren’t super invested in this movement.

I’ve been to the Women’s March, but this was my first Black Lives Matter rally. Personally, I don’t think I’ll be in another protest in the near future because of the trauma; I can still smell tear gas in my hair. —As told to Tharon Giddens

Tameka Jefferson

Richmond Region Tourism community relations manager and BLK RVA Action Team member

Black people and businesses are an integral part of what makes our region vibrant, unique and welcoming. Richmond is the origin of one in four African Americans and a place where you will find a gateway into the back story that shaped this country. BLK RVA is a collaborative initiative between Richmond Region Tourism and 20-plus community partners, developing unique ways to attract tourism, engage regional residents and support businesses by showcasing spaces that highlight Richmond’s Black experience.

Simply put, we are rooted and rising. BLK RVA shared a message on its social media: “When our community hurts, we hurt. Our heart breaks for the lives lost, and we look forward to the day we can live in a world where justice is served.” BLK RVA has provided a series of virtual happy hours for business owners and community partners to learn ways to improve their businesses and support the Black community during this time.

We are also planning to create a virtual discussion to listen to the community about how to be helpful going forward. Personally, it brings me great joy to see my community rally around and support local Black-owned businesses. I hope that we will keep the momentum going.

Richmond Region Tourism will continue to amplify its diversity and stand in solidarity with the fight against systemic racism and injustice. We want the world to know that RRT will listen, learn and use our voices and actions to help change the future. —As told to Nicole Cohen

Kat McNeal

A Richmond resident, research writer and Chesterfield native, one of more than 200 people arrested on May 31, the third night of protests in the city

I think this was an eruption of genuine anger that was a long time happening. The protests are part of a continuum of movements to further civil rights and reforms over the decades, but there’s still a long way to go. I'm encouraged by some initial outcomes, including the decision to take down the Lee  memorial and other Confederate monuments across the city, and discussions of law enforcement reform [that’s been led ] through the efforts of the family of Marcus-David Peters. Hopefully, this moment is a time when their goals will be pushed forward on this.

All the changes on the national level are profound to me; even two weeks ago, the premise of abolishing individual police departments was not in public consciousness, it was unthinkable. Now, Minneapolis and other communities are having conversations about disbanding their forces. I think that’s a massive stride in public conversation.  —As told to Tharon Giddens

Ayanna Ogaldez and Kalia Harris

Members of Mutual Aid Disaster Relief Richmond; Harris co-hosts the podcast "Race Capitol"

Ogdalez: Mutual Aid has been in Richmond for a long time in different iterations depending on the need. We see gaps in our current government. We do supply drives and also started a mini grants program initiative to give direct financial assistance.

By addressing material needs, we’re getting deeper and getting to the root structure. Protests and people being out in the street is a manifestation of these root causes, and protests are upping that energy. I like to say, build while you battle.

Capitalism, white supremacy and police violence are all connecting to suppress — and very intentionally — Black folks. When we dismantle violence against Black people and actually address the generational harm that has come to Black people, everyone will feel the effects. 

Harris: As we go on, we have to continue to talk about our politics. We’re creating this new world, but what does it look like? It is very apparent we can only depend on each other, and that we have the capacity to support each other. Capitalist systems and structures will have you thinking it’s everyone for themselves. I see in practice how untrue that is and how people really tend toward supporting each other. Inherently, mutual aid is lifting up Black lives, lifting up the most marginalized folks in the community. We are in an intense moment, and we need to look out for each other. —As told to Eileen Mellon

Stephanie Rizzi

Member of the Richmond Transparency and Accountability Project, assistant professor in the Department of Focused Inquiry at Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond Transparency and Accountability Project is a group of grassroots organizers who wanted to look at how policing was carried out in Richmond, especially after what happened with Marcus-David Peters. Our slogan is, “Our streets, our say.” This is our community, we should have a say in how it’s policed. Don’t work to control us, work to protect and serve.

The Marcus Alert and civilian oversight board are our minimal requests. Long term, we want to defund the police and fund other public entities that take care of people before things go too far. That’s the problem, police are being asked to do things they aren’t trained to do.

Let’s fund stronger mental health services, let’s look at new ways to support our communities and take care of the issues that may drive people to do things that are against the law. Let’s stop looking at crime as though it’s an indication of someone’s character — a lot of crimes are committed out of survival, literally.

Watching people work so hard to fight for these changes and fight for our kids has done a lot for me. I see these young people [protesting] and am very inspired. It has helped me find my voice in this movement, and that’s really profound for me to say. I’m 50 and still dealing with this.

When [my son] leaves this house, I’m more afraid of law enforcement than any other bully on the street, and I mean that. It’s a scary position to be in, but a lot of Black mothers feel that right now. I grew up knowing a police officer killed my father [native Richmonder Marcellus Miller, who was shot to death by police in Florida after being mistaken for an armed robbery suspect], but I had to eat it. I couldn’t really talk about it. I didn’t know who to tell.

Imagine living your whole life and not being heard. Knowing something is real, but no one wants to talk about it and no one will listen to you. I remember when I first came to college I said, “I could say the sky is blue, and they can say it’s orange; [therefore] I have to say it’s orange.” That’s how I lived my whole life until I got older.—As told to Eileen Mellon

Paul Rucker

Artist and TED Fellow

I’m 52, and I’ve marched in Baltimore. I’ve marched a little bit here in Richmond. I was at [World Trade Organization] protests in Seattle in ‘99. I’ve been working on police brutality issues since the Rodney King LA uprising in ’92 — that was on my 24th birthday.

I live less than a block away from the [downtown] Richmond Police station, and the tear gas was so thick I had to shut my windows. I saw the tear gas canisters get lobbed off the roof deck of the station. It’s no secret that the police basically incited everything. They did not deescalate; they angered the peaceful protestors by tear-gassing them, and that’s when the protestors went on Broad Street and the people started busting things up.

I find it curious that so many Black Lives Matter signs went up after the boarding up of businesses that I know for sure don’t have any Black employees. Period. It’s almost as if the signs are being put up to say, "Don’t break my glass," or "Don’t burn my building," but you would have to ask each individual business.

Marching and taking down monuments is not going to be enough. If this moment is not seized and turned into something good where long-term change happens, white supremacy can double down. As I wrote for the TED Fellows newsletter, "The protests in the streets must now move into our meeting rooms, classrooms and gatherings of all kinds, where racism sits comfortably incognito and in camouflage, because it has, until now, been normalized and accepted. We must continue the protests beyond the streets to where they are needed the most: everywhere." —As told to Nicole Cohen

Jordan Scott

Spent a night in police custody after violating citywide curfew

It was surreal. I was driving home a little after 1 a.m. [on June 1] when a cop pulled up and told me to get out of my car. They put me in zip-tie handcuffs and took [me] to a garage with at least 100 other people.  One officer brought some water bottles — not one for everyone, just a few. Someone asked, “How are we supposed to drink these?” A woman officer laughed and said, “You'll figure something out.” One cop called us guinea pigs, and another took a picture on his own phone of the crowd.

I had a longer conversation with one cop. He said Richmond hasn’t had cases like George Floyd. I brought up Marcus-David Peters. The cop didn’t know his name. I started explaining, and he exclaimed, “Oh, right, the naked guy!”

At around 5 or 6 a.m., they put [me] on a bus parked in the garage. People on the bus seemed distressed — some had been there since 9 p.m.

What struck me is, it doesn't matter if a cop is individually nice because they’re still part of the group that took more than 100 people [and] kept them overnight. That night made a huge impact on the way I see police. I don't see any humane way this system can continue. —As told to Anika Mittu

Shawn Utsey

Chair of the Department of African American studies at Virginia Commonwealth University

I'm surprised at the amount of participation given that school is out, and with the quarantine, that people were committed to action; I was surprised by that. You'd be hard-pressed to find people who are not trying to ride momentum toward something more progressive, so this is surprising for Richmond — the city is usually not as active when it comes to movements. It takes a lot to push Richmond to the brink. I've only seen that happen two times in my 15 years — during the Jena Six situation [in Louisiana], and during the African burial ground [issue] in Shockoe Bottom. There's been lots of issues that, you know, would tend to get people fired up, but it hasn't happened a whole lot in Richmond. I think it's good to see that there's a really progressive movement.

There are always concessions, right? And in about two weeks, we find ourselves consumed with the next issue that social media feeds us or the media gives us. So, let me tell you what I'm doing, how everything has affected me. I decided to do some introspection and figure out who I am. Am I who I say I am? Am I all I can be? What can I do? What more can I do right in a sustained way that makes an impact that's not reactionary to a crisis, but that will maintain itself and sustain itself when the crisis blows over? —As told to Craig Belcher

Alex Zavaleta

Co-owner, Charm School Social Club, 311 W. Broad St.

After the protests on Friday, May 29, I assumed the police would be more heavy-handed that following Saturday. So, with the permission of my business partner, Meryl Hillerson, I opened the shop that evening, figuring people would need water and shelter. I was there from 3 p.m. until 3:30 a.m. and was joined by a few of my friends. The evening got very intense and scary at points as the police shot off tear gas. You can see in the video on our Instagram, @charmschoolrva, that it looked like fog rolling in.

My friends and I probably treated 20 to 25 people with a spray bottle solution of liquid antacid and water. I’m not one of those people that’s like, “Why riot?” but that’s part of what happens when people face so much injustice for so long, it’s a natural reaction.

I truly believe that it’s not about reform, it’s about a whole new structure and idea for what police are, including [that] they need to be defunded. It absolutely needs to happen here in Richmond. You look at how much they’re given and what Richmond Public Schools are given and what everything else is given, and those funds just need to be reallocated into better things for the community and the city at large. —As told to Nicole Cohen

Amy Wentz

Eighth district candidate for Richmond City Council and co-founder of Richmond Black Restaurant Experience

I feel and understand the pain that folks are going through. I think that the protests are warranted, and I stand with protesters. The unity and the camaraderie among them have started to bring forth significant change that was well overdue in the city.

But that’s today, right? We celebrate those achievements today, but there's tomorrow and the next day, and what I'm really focused on is truly spreading wealth. Wealth distribution [and] spreading economic support, especially to the eighth district, [which] has been lacking in that support for decades. I want to see budgets that reflect exactly what we’re talking about now. Budgets that reflect not just fixing the effects of institutional racism, but actually using money to dismantle it, so that’s where my focus is going to be, and that’s what I’m going to be working toward, especially as a candidate for City Council.

I think [it’s important] to transfer the energy from protesting to being civically engaged and showing up for council meetings, showing up for district meetings and holding elected officials accountable. —As told to Rodrigo Arriaza

Marshe’ Wyche

Owner, Rumors Boutique, 723 W. Broad St.

It has been an uphill battle trying to survive as a business during COVID-19. After the damage following the protests on the night of May 30, it feels like we are trying to climb that hill with broken limbs and bleeding fingers. Instead of celebrating Rumors’ 13th anniversary, we spent the day boarding up the shattered windows of my store.

My business partner and I are trying to stay strong and trying to stay hopeful. I forgive the people who vandalized the store, but it’s a shame the community has to tear something down to show that we’re all the same. For the first time in 13 years, we asked for financial help from our community to help us recover from the damage. I was so surprised when within a matter of hours, Rumors’ GoFundMe goal of $30,000 was met [as of June 22, donations had surpassed $40,000], and I’m using the additional funding to help other minority-owned businesses who need financial support and encourage those businesses to reach out.

I stand with the protestors because I am them. Change can only happen if the city is willing to work together and all of us are willing to work together. —As told to Nicole Cohen

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Interviews have been edited for length and clarity.