Glendale marches for Black Lives
By: Kevin Colindres
Glendale marches for Black Lives
What started as an idea in a group chat amongst friends from Clark Magnet High School led to a march through the heart of Glendale, in support of Black Lives Matter.
Gabrielle Scott, a 16-year-old high school student, organized the march with the help of five friends.
“In the beginning, it was just a group of us thinking that Glendale should really have a protest,” Scott said. “One of our friends who does graphic design set up a fancy post on Instagram and I wasn’t really expecting anything to happen.”
The march was originally planned to begin at Brand Boulevard and Kenneth Road.
It was moved to a residential area after organizers realized there wouldn’t be enough parking for the hundreds of protesters that arrived at Doran Gardens-Mini Park with signs, snacks, water and masks to march.
“From there I contacted my godmother who put me in contact with Ingrid [Gunnel], who helped me reach out to Black in Glendale and the YWCA,” Scott said.
Scott decided to combine the two events after speaking to Gunnel, who previously organized a vigil to honor George Floyd at Glendale City Hall. The march would end at Glendale City Hall, where the vigil took place.
“We have reached a turning point and the Black in Glendale leaders and those of us who are allies are going to continue to push the city and the school district to be inclusive of the black community,” Gunnel said. “We’re going to push for policies and budgets that reflect values of inclusivity.”
Scott and Gunnel’s mission is to bring awareness to police brutality and raise awareness of Glendale’s racist past. Early in the 20th century, Brand Boulevard was used for KKK parades, Glendale was a sundown town and the city was home to the American Nazi Party.
“Glendale has done a lot of things wrong with its police, and has been historically anti-black,” Scott said.
The majority of the protest took place on Brand Boulevard, with police blocking roads. At Glendale Street and Wilson Avenue, the protesters kneeled in the middle of the road for eight minutes and 46 seconds, in honor of George Floyd.
The march ended at the courtyard of City Hall, where candles were handed out for the vigil. Scott thanked everyone who helped organize the march and before being followed by multiple speakers.
Tara Peterson, the CEO of the YWCA of Glendale and leader of Black in Glendale, pushed for the City of Glendale to make a statement and commitment to eliminating racism.
“This is our moment to step into our leadership and our collective humanity to create a Glendale where every member is valued and has an opportunity to thrive,” Peterson said. “How can we build bridges to get to where we want to be?”
Tanita Fadyeyola Harris-Ligons, a leader of Black in Glendale, followed up with her own gratitude.
“Never have I ever seen such humanity standing up all over the world,” Fadyeyola Harris-Ligons said. “It takes a radical imagination to imagine a world that works for everyone. If the White House doesn’t have that imagination, then your time is up.”
Other speakers would include Fadyeyola Harris-Ligons’ youngest son who recited his own message in Armenian and English, Senior Pastor Shane Kinnison and Reverand Sherri James.
The vigil would end with a rendition of “Amazing Grace,” and James would have one final message for the protesters.
“This is a message that needs to be played today, tomorrow, next week and for the rest of our lives,” James said. “We must continue to fight for a better world, for black lives.”
