‘Work to be done’: Silent march for justice planned in downtown Beaufort on Sunday
As protests that speak up for the Black Lives Matter movement and speak out against systematic racism and police brutality continue throughout the United States and Beaufort County, a large march is planned Sunday evening in the heart of downtown Beaufort.
The “Protest & March for Justice” will start at 4 p.m. at the Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park.
It will be a silent march to commemorate “folks who cannot speak anymore, who have been silenced forever,” event organizer Harold “Mitch” Mitchell said in a City of Beaufort news release.
Mitchell is a Beaufort County native and retired U.S. Air Force major general.
The march will move from the park up Charles Street to Boundary and Carteret streets and down Bay, ending back at the park. Beaufort City Council worked with S.C. Department of Transportation to close several streets along the route.
Participants are encouraged to wear face masks and practice social distancing as precautions amid the coronavirus pandemic.
City of Beaufort leaders have made an effort to show their support for the march, including releasing a statement saying they “recognize that there is work to be done.”
Read the full statement below:
“As our country grapples with the issues brought to the forefront by recent protests and demonstrations throughout the United States, including here in Beaufort, we recognize that there is work to be done. We must stand in solidarity with the Black community, with those who protest in peace, and with those looking for change. We must see racism as a public health crisis and a stain on our humanity. It is up to us to forge real change in our own community. Systemic racism is far reaching in our society and goes beyond policing. We are committed to being agents of change within our City to lead to a new future for all.
“We’re proud to support the Protest & March for Justice. We are the ones who stand in the public as leaders; it is up to each of us to make our voices heard, but more importantly to listen, to learn, and to use our voices to amplify the concerns of others.”
