ASHLAND — Ashland residents have taken a noticeable stand against racism and police brutality.
One month after Ashland resident Keon Singleton pledged to peacefully protest every day in downtown Ashland, the displays continue for at least two hours daily at the corner of Claremont Avenue and Main Street.
The group gathers from 1 to 3 p.m. daily and again from 5 to 7 p.m. every Thursday and Friday. On several occasions, they walked to the city of Ashland building, where they knelt on the lawn for 8 minutes and 46 seconds — marking the length of time a white officer kept his knee on George Floyd’s neck.
Floyd was killed on Memorial Day at the hands of four Minneapolis police officers. All Minneapolis officers involved in Floyd’s death have been fired and charged in the killing. Derek Chauvin, 46, is charged with second-degree murder. The other three — J. Alexander Kueng, 26, Thomas Lane, 37, and Tou Thao — 34, are charged with aiding and abetting both second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
Singleton said he wanted to take a stand not only for Floyd, but for every black person who has died or otherwise suffered from police brutality. He committed to protest regularly after spending most of June 4 walking alone along Main Street.
On June 5, 50 joined him. The crowd sizes have varied since then, but at least a few have met for the minimum of two hours daily in downtown.
Some like 16-year old Jaden Smith have attended nearly every day. The local high school student is grateful for those who stand beside her.
“I think it’s really nice to see all the support we get from people in our community because Ashland,” she said. “We don’t have a lot of Black people in Ashland. And so it’s nice to see us come together for this cause.”
She motioned to the four others gathered with her Wednesday, July 1.
“It’s really amazing to see that… people still see there’s a problem and something needs to change,” she said.
As she held up a sign reading “Black Lives Matter. If not now, when?” another nearby sign encouraged drivers to honk in support. It’s a simple indication from those passing by, but the sound is significant to her.
“There are a lot of people who come out here and try to tear us down and tell us to go home, having the support out there is really really nice,” she said. “Because it’s hard.”
She explained how some drivers shout hateful messages out their car windows. One told her to “change her sign” on Wednesday.
“I feel like in Ashland, a lot of people don’t realize racism is a thing, even though we’re a small town,” Smith said. “I wanted to come out here so people would be more aware of what’s happening. Even though we don’t see it as much in Ashland, it’s still a thing that happens.”
Nearby, another teen held up a sign reading “Respect existence, or expect resistance.” Anna Slade, 15, attends the protests as often as possible, only missing a few days in the past month.
“We need to make all lives matter in this country, and they don’t,” she said. “If people find us annoying standing here, then they are part of the reason why it’s essential we are here … to show the community that there are people who do care.”
