A small rally that started at Lynn City Hall yesterday wrapped with a march (or drive in some cases) through the North Shore to Governor Charlie Baker’s home in Swampscott. Led by Reverend Dr. Andre Bennett and “faith leaders of the North Shore,” the entourage included the North Shore BLM Solidarity Group, as well as “other human rights activists, congregants, and others responding to the recent murder of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and other black and brown siblings.” A statement that the group released ahead of the action read in part:
We are letting Governor Baker know that specific action needs to be taken. We refuse to be silent and turn our backs on the racism and systemic oppression here on the North Shore and in MA. We will not sit in silence as communities of color continue to suffocate under the knees of injustice, inequality and inequity perpetrated upon them while others continue to benefit from the system and structures in place.
George Floyd should be alive today. Instead his name joins the long list of black and brown bodies looted by our white supremacist systems, including those charged with protecting and serving us all. Know their names, say their names… Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tamir Rice, Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin. These are just a few of our siblings lost in recent years. Too many to name and even more whose names we will never know. We must say “Not One More”. We must act and call upon others to join us.
This article was produced in collaboration with the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism.
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A native of Dorchester living in Somerville, Derek Kouyoumjian is one of the most active and creatively agile photographers in Greater Boston. Having shot everything from breaking news, to portraits, to food and nightlife for publications including the Boston Phoenix, Boston Business Journal, Boston Magazine, and the Boston Metro, for which he regularly snaps cover photos, Derek’s versatile eye is complemented by his immense knowledge of the cityscapes and people of Mass. He also shoots abroad, including recent trips to the United Arab Emirates and Cuba, and has worked with private clients including the Gardner Museum and Huntington Theatre Company.
