Change is still in the air and in the streets
Four weeks after people began pouring into the streets to protest George Floyd’s murder and the systemic racism in our country, the marches continue on. And the fence erected outside the White House—now a memorial filled with protest art—continues to serve as a powerful symbol: a symbol of solidarity among Americans, and a symbol of the divide between the President and the people.
On the heels of vibrant Juneteenth celebrations and demonstrations, as well as the burning of a confederate statue in the District yesterday, today the crowds were smaller, especially as thunder came and the skies opened. Still, they were there. Around noon, hundreds of bikers wearing black shut down traffic as they pedaled from Arlington to the Lincoln memorial, and on to Lafayette Square. Onlookers raised their fists in solidarity, and drivers coming over the bridge joined in with their horns.
Outside the White House, families walked around to look at the signs and pictures hung as a tribute to the countless black Americans who have been killed by police. The dynamic, ever-present demonstrations show that the movement has not died down— and remind us of the change that is happening in cities and states across the country as a direct result of people rising up.
