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Love, not hate

Candlelight vigil set for Tuesday

-Messenger photo by Chad Thompson
Sherry Washington, left, and Lydia Schuur, both of Fort Dodge, pose with candles on Sunday. The two are organizing a candlelight vigil Tuesday night in a show of unity for the community. The event was called for in light of recent racial tensions and riots taking place throughout the country.

The death of a black man named George Floyd who died in Minneapolis after a white police officer kneeled on his neck for several minutes has made waves across the entire country. And Fort Dodge is no exception.

But the response from some community members might be different than expected. Two community members are talking about uniting instead of fighting during this difficult time for the country.

Together they have planned a candlelight vigil for Tuesday night to demonstrate unity within the community.

Sherry Washington, president of the Pleasant Valley Awareness Committee and member of the Fort Dodge National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, along with Lydia Schuur, communications specialist at the Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance and an at-large City Council member, have planned the event.

It will be held in the green space south of Dodger Stadium at 8 p.m. Speakers are to include the Rev. Rob Johnson, executive minister of Second Baptist Church; Dr. Jesse Ulrich, superintendent of the Fort Dodge Community School District; Mayor Matt Bemrich and others.

“This is a very sad time for our African-American community,” Washington said. “They have seen enough and I think the rest of the world is fed up.”

Floyd was confronted by police on May 25 for allegedly passing a $20 counterfeit bill, according to published news reports.

While in handcuffs, officers are shown on video pinning Floyd down for several minutes. Floyd told officers he was having trouble breathing.

Minutes later, Floyd stopped moving altogether. Floyd was later pronounced dead at a local hospital. He was 46.

Derek Chauvin, the officer who pinned Floyd’s neck down with his knee, has since been fired from the Minneapolis Police Department and charged with third-degree murder.

In the days following the death of Floyd, several buildings in Minneapolis, including the Minneapolis Police Department Third Precinct, were set on fire by rioters.

Washington condemns the actions taken by officers while Floyd was in custody.

“Clearly what the officer did was intentional from what I could see,” she said. “Anytime you put that kind of force on someone’s neck for an amount of time, they weren’t going to get up feeling well. And for the other officers standing by and saw the distress, it’s really mind boggling and a sad situation.”

And Washington, who has seven biracial nieces and nephews, said it’s difficult to explain the situation to children.

“With the younger generation watching, that’s one of our biggest concerns,” she said. “My family is biracial. I have seven nieces and nephews and two great nieces and nephews. Seven are biracial. How are they supposed to feel? How do you explain this to them or any child of any race, when they see adults acting in this manner?”

She added, “There’s a lot that needs to be said and conversations that need to happen. This is where we are in our time.”

Schuur agrees. She wants all children to understand what happened was wrong.

“I care about everybody’s children, where we live in a world where we don’t get judged by the color of our skin,” she said.

Schuur isn’t pretending that her life experiences can compare to what the African-American community experiences, but she wants to help any way she can.

“I feel like my experiences as a white woman are different than experiences of an African-American person, but I feel that I should be using my voice to bring awareness to injustices that they deal with, and I have a responsibility to speak out about racism and calling it out for what it is,” Schuur said.

And while Washington condemns the actions of the officers involved in the Floyd case, she understands that in any group, there are people who will make good and bad choices.

“One person can ruin it for many,” Washington said. “Not everyone is the same. We have good and bad in every race. In every group, you will have your good and bad.”

Washington was complimentary of the integrity of the Fort Dodge Police Department.

“In our community we have good officers,” she said. “Our chief, Roger Porter — his heart is definitely broken from this. It gives the good folks a hard way to go.”

The vigil is a chance to show the community that it is united more than it’s divided.

“It’s to bring the community together for some comfort and understanding,” Washington said. “Not that we will ever understand, but hopefully the community will continue to look forward.”

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