#BLM Conference in Cleveland
On July 24th-26th five of our BOP members and staff went to the first national convening for the Movement for Black Lives. The conference was held in Cleveland, OH, a city that has been recently marked with the tragic murder of Tamir Rice at the hands of the Cleveland State Police. It is also a city with a deep and rich Black history that was able to come front and center during our time there. Our contingent consisted of youth and adults eager to participate in a national conversation that centered the lives of Black people as a priority, and made a national call for those of African origins to come together as a people. The conference brought over 1200 people together to share, learn, and fellowship. This convening represents a powerful moment in our history where Black people are re-emboldened to call for Black led spaces where those who have been the most deeply impacted by state violence and structural racism are at the helm of leadership. One of the most impactful workshops that struck a chord in our members was the families of those who had lost their children to state sanctioned murders told their stories. Many of these people speaking were ordinary. People who were mothers and fathers, workers, caretakers, and they had a deep love for their children. Eric Garner’s mother talked about a conversation she had with her son the morning of his death. They were planning a family barbecue that weekend. On that same day she would receive a phone call of her son’s death. Ms. Garner spoke of how the death of her son broke her heart and also how something in her became inspired to fight such an injustice. Many of the families on the panel spoke about how the movement was something that had chosen them. The panelists made sure to say that they were called into leadership, and through much grief they became powerful leaders with a message. The need for courage and truth telling in the face of such hate and supremacy is a wise lesson their stories taught those of us listening.
Here are some reflections from members who went on the trip.
“I really enjoyed the atmosphere of love and harmony that I felt there. Everyone smiled at one another and was generally warm toward each other. Even at HBCU events or other events focused on Black people I don’t feel the love I felt in Cleveland. People were happy to be there and happy to meet people, happy to hear more about the work that other people were doing.”
-Reggie Harris
“This past weekend I feel I grew so much as a person and I feel that I did indeed learn a lot, both about myself and about the daily struggle the black community faces day to day. During the conference I listened to many speakers. The ones who stuck out the most were the former black panthers and parents of those whose sons were murdered because of police brutality.
The former black panthers spoke of their personal experiences during the civil rights movement. They explained the danger they endured during the movement and the life threatening experiences they were involved in during the movement, which forced them to live underground. They explained how being a part of the movement not only put their lives at risk, but the lives of their loved ones as well. They spoke of the men and women who are still fighting for freedom behind bars. One thing I am taking away from these speakers is to not forget about the men and women who are not with us, but are rallying for us to finish what they started. These shared experiences made me appreciate what they started and the pain they endured to get us to this point. This experience has made me realize the fight is not over and it is up to us to spread awareness and take charge in order for things to change.”
-Jocelynn Flores