Amplifying The Voices of Black Women

“There can be no doubt that Black men, Black women and Black children all across this great nation (and without a doubt all across the world) continue to be vulnerable in very unique and unsettling ways that deny them the sweetness of liberty that every one of us should be allowed to be refreshed by. 

LIFT YOUR VOICE with urgency and with optimism and in praise of liberty and freedom. Liberty and freedom are our destiny and we will not be denied…

LIFT YOUR VOICE and denounce the legacy of slavery and the vestiges of that cruel reality that remain woven into the fabric of our society today….

LIFT YOUR VOICE against racism, against oppression, against brutality and against those who would seek to deny your brother and your sister liberty.

LIFT YOUR VOICE!”

-Educator, mentor and Children of Uganda Board member, Liza Craig

On Sunday, July 12th Children of Uganda (COU) hosted a Unity Rally outside of our office in Charles Town, WV. Our vision was to create a platform for Black women to be able to share their experiences and to speak out against racial injustice.

A diverse, peaceful and appropriately social-distanced group of supporters gathered to take a stand against racism and to hear impassioned speeches.

Speakers for the event included Liza Craig, Children of Uganda Board Member; Brogan Dozier, Washington High School student; Danita Berry, Jefferson County WV NAACP youth activist; and WV political candidates Storme Frame, Sam Petsonk and Natalie Tennant.

Masters level social worker and therapist, Adonijah Gilmore, introduced our final speaker,

West Virginia Delegate and Children of Uganda Board Member, Sammi Brown:

“I should not be fighting the same fight my father did. I should not be fighting the same fight my grandfather did. I should not be fighting the same fight my great-grandfather did. All black men, all who put on a uniform, all who fought for our First Amendment rights. So, it is only right that we are here to assemble today and fight back. We’re here to stand up against oppression. We’re here to speak out when we know there is wrong doing,” Sammi said with urgency.

A voter registration booth was set-up in the parking lot near the event and the crowd was encouraged to make their voices heard by voting at the local, state and national levels.

“So often, young people are overlooked in political conversations. Phrases like, ‘You’re too young to understand,’ ‘You’re not educated,’ ‘Learn your place,’ ‘Be a child,’ are hurdled our way constantly. Clearly, I disagree with these, because I’m standing here talking to you all today. Let me tell you why they are wrong,” Dozier said. “The youth are looking at our problems with fresh eyes and history books in hand. We will not forget the past, but we will not let it hold us back from a brighter future. We see the mistakes that were made and the wrongs that were never done right. I understand what challenges my ancestors faced with peace and tolerance, and I refuse to accept modernized racism. I cannot sit down and be a child, because the world sees the color of my skin before they see my intentions.”

“The Black Lives Matter movement does not mean only black lives matter. It is asking for only one thing: that black people are treated equally to other races.”

“I understand all lives matter, but how can they when these murders of black citizens get swept under the rug. The Black Lives Matter movement isn’t questioning if all lives matter. It was Derek Chauvin’s knee that questioned it. It’s this glossed-over acceptance of blatant racism that questions if all lives matter.”

Thank you to everyone who made this event possible and who came to stand in solidarity with us. This is just the beginning!

Special thanks to James Welsh and Welsh Sound, volunteers Kit McGinnis and her incredible family, photographers Liz Brigham Wilson and Ebone Chalise Frame who took the amazing shots in this post, Jefferson County Democratic Association, Scoop Dawg and Alfredo’s for your support in making this rally possible.