Participants in a CommUNITY Walk and Peace Rally on Saturday marched through Elkin and Jonesville.
Courtesy photo| Peggy Petrocy
JONESVILLE/ELKIN — A CommUNITY Walk and Peace Rally that wound its way through both towns on Saturday drew several hundred participants.
Despite scores of negative comments — some of them violent — received earlier in the week by the Jonesville Police Department on a Facebook post announcing road closures for the walk, the event was peaceful.
“There were no issues,” said Elkin Mayor Sam Bishop at the conclusion of the walk. “I’m happy to see that things went well after all the rhetoric on Facebook.”
Bishop continued by thanking the staff of both towns for all they did.
During a brief ceremony prior to the walk, West Caudle, co-founder of Yadkin Valley Community Matters, stood up to speak, to applause from the crowd. He said that though the walk and other protests around the world had been inspired by police brutality, it was important to recognize local law enforcement for the good work they have done. His comment again met with a round of applause.
“They have not hesitated to step up and protect us. I think they support us and what we’re trying to do. It’s important we support them.”
Rev. Mark Reece, Pastor of First Baptist Church, Elkin, led a prayer after urging the crowd to remember Juneteenth with the hope it becomes a national holiday.
Featured speaker Bishop A.W. Gray, of Mt. Nebo Holy Church of God, Jonesville, began by saying the event was the first time he had seen whites, blacks, Hispanics and others come together locally. He urged everyone to unite to fight the systemic racism that has plagued the world.
Gray then delivered a brief sermon based on Acts 17 on the subject of “one blood,” and how all humans are of one blood.
He concluded with eight minutes and forty-six seconds of silence, the amount of time George Floyd was pinned down in a chokehold before dying. As the long silence progressed, Gray punctuated it with some of the words of Floyd: “I can’t breathe” repeatedly, and near the end, calls for his dead mother.
At the end of the walk, as Beth Shaw of Elkin neared the Heritage Center, she said, “Now we have the energy, and hopefully, the will, to really make change. I love the marches, but we need policy change to really make a difference.”
Between chatting with marchers after the event was over, West Caudle said, “It was really inspiring to receive the continuing support of the community to being everyone together and cause positive change.”
Caudle again thanked local municipal government and law enforcement.
“This is just the beginning. We’ve got to work hard, but we can grow something special here.”