by Juliette Rihl and Ryan Loew
Several hundred people lay in the grass and on the walking path at Point State Park on Sunday for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, the length of time prosecutors said Derek Chauvin, a Minneapolis police officer, kneeled on the neck of George Floyd before he died.
The Sunday demonstration, which included several dozen speakers, marked the ninth day of largely peaceful protests in the Pittsburgh area against racism and police violence.
“I know that the protests are going to die down… what are we going to do after?” Tanisha Long, 30, of Crafton, asked the crowd. Long, who served as a moderator for the demonstration, runs a Black Lives Matter Facebook group for Western Pennsylvania. “At this point, we have to start making change.”
While praising the recent protests, she also called for increased Black representation in politics and educational spaces and encouraged attendees to vote.
The event ran for about three hours, and participants were encouraged to address the audience and share their personal experiences with racism and privilege. Calise Cowans, 12, of Braddock received a standing ovation after reading a poem she wrote called “White Privilege.”
“She brought me out. She wanted to voice her opinion on what’s going on,” Cowans’s grandfather Terrance Murtaza, 69, said.
Hundreds of people lie on the ground in silence at Point State Park Sunday for eight minutes and 46 seconds, the amount of time prosecutors say a white Minneapolis police officer had his knee on George Floyd’s neck before he died. (Photo by Ryan Loew/PublicSource)
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Pittsburghers share experiences with racism and privilege during rally against police brutality
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