On Saturday September 26th, a “Protect Black Women” protest was held in Hicksville, Long Island. The protest was sponsored by SUNY Old Westbury’s Student Government Association (SGA) in conjunction with a few other of the school’s clubs and organizations. The protest was held to bring awareness to the constant mistreatment of Black women in America. The protest took place not too long after the verdict of the Breonna Taylor case which left many in attendance, very adamant to have their voices heard.
Students and other members of the community gathered at Hicksville LIRR station. T-shirts, pins, water bottles, and wristbands were made available on behalf of the SGA that promoted safe practices. Posters and markers were also provided for protesters to create signs to express their feelings and to have their voices heard. Many used quotes commonly seen within the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement such as “Black Lives Matter,” “All Lives Can’t Matter Until Black Lives Matter,” and some even wore clothing with these quotes branded across them.
Protesters creating posters along with SGA sponsored giveaways
SGA President Kalief Metellus, Campus Life Senator Anne Isabelle Laforest, along with other students, offered their opening remarks where they voiced their feelings towards the constant mistreatment of black women. They vocalized their thoughts on how upsetting it is to see the system continuously fail black women through their opening remarks, poems, and a closing prayer.
When asked about his thoughts on black women being the most unprotected people in the world, Kalief Metellus agreed stating, “I feel we should start a structure to change it, there are many people who complain who are not solution oriented, so as a whole we need to come up with a game plan to tackle this issue because black women are in fact the most unprotected women in America.” Metellus was also asked how he felt about the verdict on Breonna Taylor’s case and expressed his disappointment. “It wasn’t a shocker to me, however just a disappointment that even after 400 years of slavery, we are still going through the same things in 2020.”
SGA President Kalief Metellus along with Campus Life Senator Isabelle Laforest
With the protest beginning at the Hicksville LIRR station and moving to the gates of SUNY Old Westbury along route 107, the march was immediately met with people who showed their support by honking their horns in passing. Protesters as young as ten took turns on the speaker yelling out chants as everyone else followed suit.
There were two separate occasions where all members of the protest took a knee for a 60-second period which is a form of protest that originated from the actions of former NFL player, Colin Kaepernick during the National Anthem of a 2016 preseason game. In an interview with BBC News that same year, Kaepernick said, “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of colour.” These feelings have resonated with many, as kneeling down as a form of protest has continued throughout these past four years.
Protesters kneeling for 60-seconds along Route 107
When asking a protester who wishes to remain anonymous about other outlets people can take, she expressed the importance of voting by stating “We should not only be voting in the presidential election because the president has limited power, the Senate and House of Representatives control a lot more than people know.”
The walk lasted for approximately an hour and a half. Many were able to express their feelings, frustration, and disappointment with the mistreatment of Black women, amongst many other issues including police brutality, and a corrupt judicial system.
At Gate A of the campus entrance, tables were set up on behalf of the brothers of Rho Kappa Alphas for students and other members of the protest to register to vote. Food was provided, and more remarks were made on the climate of our country in regards to Black women, and Black people as a whole.
