George Floyd Story Archives - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Q&A: How George Floyd Woke The Ohio Valley… For A Little Bit

A longtime community leader in the Northern Panhandle, Ron Scott Jr. was born and raised in a family of community advocates in Wheeling. He founded and directs the Ohio Valley African American Student Association — an organization that “encourages & promotes higher and continued education for Black and Bi-Racial students in the Ohio Valley.” Now he’s the Director of Cultural Diversity and Community Outreach at the YWCA in Wheeling. The mission of the YWCA is, “Eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all.”

West Virginia Public Broadcasting met up with him to learn about some of the changes he’s seen in his community in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Ron Scott Jr. is currently helping to coordinate a multi-year plan to address racial issues across public and private high schools throughout Ohio County. And since the killing of George Floyd began with an altercation over a counterfeit 20 dollar bill, the YWCA has also launched what they’re calling “Change for a 20 Challenge” asking community members to donate a 20 dollar bill and post why they donate in social media channels with #Changefora20. Funds are slated to go to scholarships, and programs and events designed to address diversity, human rights, race relations, and ultimately to cultivate unified community.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NubR22EzwU

Glynis Board: The YWCA in Wheeling began in 1906, right? Talk to me about its history of dedication to diversity.

Ron Scott Jr.: I’ve never seen an agency that has “eliminating racism” in their mission statement. That’s it. And it’s before “empowering women.” “Eliminating racism, empowering women…” They did something — they called it the Blue Triangle, during segregation. There weren’t services for black women and children and families. It just didn’t exist. So they went out of their way to make a separate agency called the Blue Triangle that was affiliated with the YWCA and it just served black women and children and families. It was around for a while through segregation stuff through Jim Crow. And I’m amazed that I never learned anything about that. Or it’s never been celebrated — the bravery of an agency like that back then. Because you weren’t getting rewarded for that sort of stuff, then. You weren’t considered a visionary for doing that. You were just breaking the rules. And now they were on the right side of history. So it’s kind of cool to be affiliated with an agency that has historically been on the right side of history.

Board: Have you seen an uptick in interest and in people been coming to you for guidance in the wake of George Floyd’s killing?

Scott: Definitely. And me and a good friend of mine, Jermaine Lucius, we’ve been trying to figure out why this is so different, because the act itself — this isn’t new. Especially not to us. This isn’t a new thing. This isn’t a new phenomenon. I think it may have been the combination of the quarantines from the virus, people just being at home, just watching TV, and it dominating the news stories, and nothing else can take your eyes off. There’s no football games and basketball games; there’s nothing to distract you. So they kind of got to see it, and really let it soak in this time.

And the outpouring and outcry has been incredible to me. I’ve never experienced this kind of outrage from the white community for an issue that, in essence, doesn’t affect them. It’s not like George Floyd was a white guy that was just doing this thing and got murdered. But I’ve been just inundated with, “What can I do?” “How can I make my agency better? My community better?”

I thought originally I was going to get a week out of this. And so I’m jumping on whenever I can. Whoever asked me anything, I’m on it. And a week passes, and then two weeks pass, and a month passes and people are still asking me, “What can I do?” And they don’t just want to put a little bandaid on. They’re like, “What can we do that is sustaining?” “How can we change the culture of this agency or this hair salon?” I’ve been speaking to groups that I just didn’t even know, had those kind of concerns.

There was a local hair salon who had an issue that was race related because people were speaking out we’re seeing these things happen and play out in front of us right on TV. So folks bean to speak out and made it tense and uncomfortable in the salon. And the owner asked me to come and speak to all the staff and we just had a great conversation about their views.

Because I don’t ever go into the situation with, “You’re wrong. Let me tell you why.” And so we just kind of flesh out whatever it is they already think, what they already feel, and who they want to be, and how they want to be perceived by other people. So once we fleshed all that out, we then realize places like salons are social hubs. People come there and get more candid than they do in doctors offices and therapists offices. And so being able to do that kind of a presentation and talk at a place like that, it has a ripple effect. And that’s how real change happens. You know, it’s not me standing in front of the city building with a megaphone. It’s having presentations at like hair salons or community centers, places like that. And all these places are asking, they’re saying, “What can we do?”

Board: Is there a common theme in these conversations?

Scott: Well, there’s an underlying theme that a lot of people that reach out to me seem to be working with: the issue of them being perceived a racist sometimes seems to be worse than being one. So what they want to make sure happens is — I don’t want to do or say anything that might make folks believe that I’m a racist, or I just have no real sensitivity or tolerance to anyone different than me. So it’s almost like they want me to come in and we do some assessment of the idea, like, “I’ve been in the city for a long time, and I’ve had a few black employees, and my roommate in college…” So we go through all of that sort of stuff. And it’s like they’re unsure because they’re seeing how the systematic racism has permeated almost every institution that they’ve loved. And now, it’s like — and I don’t know why now — they just seem to see it clearly. And some of them it scares them; some are in denial about it; and others just want to go to action. They’re like, “We got to fix this. I didn’t realize this is how you felt every day.” And they’re ready to go. So I’m like, let’s go then! I’m not slowing down. Not until they are.

Board: I hesitate to use the word “hope,” but how do you feel about the future? Do you think that with this more substantial sort of movement afoot, that there will actually be tangible policy changes and cultural shifts?

Scott: Right now, I think I’m hopeful for attitude shifts, paradigm shifts in thinking, and thinking and personalities — those kind of shifts are definitely happening. And I think we’re gonna to be able to see more of it. But I have begun lately to lose some of the hope because there are certain narratives that are like comfortable shoes to people, you know. And the newest one is the idea that Black Lives Matter is a terrorist organization that has an agenda that just kill random and innocent white people. I’ve had folks tell me that places are just like war zones now like Beirut and, you know, people don’t want to drive through them anymore. And that narrative, people have adopted it. It’s finally given me a little bit of pause where I can see this starting to lose some traction, because people are believing stuff that they haven’t seen. They haven’t experienced it. No one’s even telling them second or third hand. This is just an abstract idea someone’s just saying and they’re like, “Yes. That’s the case. Let me get back to being comfortable and live in my life. And just give me a few blinders. We need some leagues to come back, we need some games to start, we need something. So I could put these blinders back up and go back to business as usual.”

Because real change is uncomfortable. And for a minute there people were just ready to get uncomfortable. They were ready to hear this conversation. But with this idea that there’s a terrorist group called Black Lives Matter that’s just killing people, randomly and innocent people for no reasons. It just is a ridiculous notion but people are clinging to it. And I think that might slow us down.

I’ve been explaining to people, the Black Lives Matters and it isn’t even an organization in a sense. It’s a movement. It’s a sentiment. It’s an idea. I mean, yeah, they got a website. They got principles. There’s a founder. But so does #MeToo, but there’s not a #MeToo office or a board of directors for the #MeToo movement that could organize… No it’s the idea of it. And it’s one that resonates when you get it. When you understand that what you’re saying is black lives matter as well, too. Just like my life matters Black Lives Matter as well. Once you wrap your mind around it is such a simple sentiment and it’s so easy to get behind. But when you throw a little dose of fear in there people are ready to put the comfortable shoe back on, like, “Okay, they’re killing people. We’re good. We’re gonna stay in the house.”

Board: Well, what about here in West Virginia? I’m curious… I don’t even know what I’m curious about now. Now I’m just like, sad.

Scott: Don’t be sad. There’s good stuff. There’s still people — like tonight at five I’m speaking to a group in St. Clairsville. That didn’t exist maybe a month ago. All the stuff was going on. One woman had an interest, so she gathered up people who had an interest, and they want to … they just want to have a conversation to see if there’s more that they can learn, or if they can do better, and I love the idea that someone can still be teachable, nowadays. You can be a grown adult with kids, a successful job, and still say, “There’s stuff, I just don’t get still, and you might be able to help me get it.” And that’s fantastic. Because they’re not looking at that as a weakness. They’re just ready to go.

Large Protest In Charleston Postponed, Smaller Crowds Still Gather

A protest that had been planned Sunday at the West Virginia Capitol was postponed by organizers due to safety concerns following threats, according to event organizers.

The event was expected to attract thousands of people, protesting police brutality against African Americans. A small crowd still gathered at the capitol grounds Sunday afternoon for a peaceful event.

On Charleston’s West Side, another scheduled demonstration went ahead as scheduled Sunday. The peaceful protest was a part of an ongoing series of demonstrations that have taken place each day for the past week. Nineteen-year-old Caylynn Wills is one of the organizers.

“Well honestly, I’ve always been passionate about Black Lives Matter,” she said. “I feel like I was about 12 when Trayvon Martin died, but I was so young I couldn’t even do anything. I couldn’t ever be heard.”

But the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who was killed by a police officer in Minneapolis, motivated Wills and her brother to organize a protest on the West Side. She said they choose the the West Side because it is the heart of the African American community in Charleston.

The protests she’s helped organize have continued to gain momentum each day. She said threats against protestors are concerning, but they haven’t stopped people from gathering.

“Ever since the second day when a lot of people started coming out, we had threats every single day,” she said. “People saying, ‘we’re gonna hit you with our car.’ ‘Oh, if we see you, we’re gonna shoot you,’ saying things like that.”

But on Sunday the mood at the protest on Charleston’s West Side was celebratory, with music playing. Families with small children were in attendance. A continuous stream of people in cars honked as they drove by, to show their support of racial equality.

Update June 8, 8:30 p.m.

West Virginia Public Broadcasting reached out to law enforcement and organizers of the “I Can’t Breathe” event that was postponed, asking for more information on the reasons the event on June 7 was canceled. At this time, organizers say they are not able to provide more specifics, and the Charleston Police Chief Hunt said in an emailed statement on June 8 that explained that law enforcement were invited to a meeting by event organizers on Friday, June 5. “Some of the concerns that were discussed are law enforcement sensitive and cannot be shared. These potential issues, the lack of organization and the open nature of the protest location were discussed.” After that meeting, said Hunt, the organizers decided to postpone the event after they considered the safety concerns “and saw the need for a more unified plan.”

Hundreds March Peacefully In Morgantown's Black Lives Matter Protest

Hundreds of people peacefully marched through the streets of downtown Morgantown on Tuesday calling for justice and equality for people of color following the deaths of unarmed black people at the hands of police.

A sea of people — young, old, some families with kids — gathered in front of the Morgantown courthouse beginning around 10 a.m. to protest police brutality and violence.

Millions across America have taken to the streets following the deaths of unarmed black people including George Floyd in Minneapolis and Breonna Taylor in Louisville. Floyd died last week while a Minneappolis police officer held him down with a knee on his neck. In March, police killed Taylor while executing a search warrant unannounced.

Organizers began the event with five minutes of silence to honor those lost to police brutality.

The Morgantown protest began with five minutes of silence. Participants were asked to take a knee for police brutality and to honor the lives that had been lost.

“That’s not nearly the time that it took George Floyd to die,” Morgantown rally co-organizer Sammantha Norris told the gathered crowd. “It’s not nearly the time it’s taken other people to die from police brutality. It’s not nearly close to the 400 years of oppression in this country against black people.”

Norris said the peaceful gathering was an important show of solidarity with communities of color.

Co-organizer Sammantha Norris (center holding bullhorn) leads a march of hundreds of protesters through downtown Morgantown on Tuesday, June 2, 2020.

“This is for every single black person who doesn’t feel at home in America because this is our home and we want to make it feel like home,” she said.

Protest organizers stressed this was a peaceful event and urged participants to wear masks to protect themselves and others from the coronavirus. The majority of the crowd appeared to follow that guidance. Water and snacks were also distributed.

The protesters repeatedly snaked their way through the downtown business district chanting things like “Black Lives Matter” and “No Justice, No Peace.” Police at the scene remained largely in their vehicles and provided an escort for the marchers.

Hundreds of protesters peacefully marched through downtown Morgantown during a Black Lives Matter rally on Tuesday, June 2, 2020.

The Morgantown protest follows other recent events across West Virginia. In Charleston over the weekend, a couple hundred people gathered in front of the state capital. In Wheeling, a peaceful protest took place in front of the city building on Sunday. Meanwhile in the Eastern Panhandle, Martinsburg police are investigating after someone fired shots during a protest Sunday. No one was injured.

Gov. Jim Justice on Monday urged protests to remain peaceful and nonviolent.

West Virginia Gov. Urges Protests Of Racism, Police Brutality To Remain Peaceful

Gov. Jim Justice is urging West Virginians to remain peaceful and nonviolent as protests against racism and police brutality continue around the country.

Across the United States, thousands of Americans are protesting the death of George Floyd, a black man who died last week while a Minneappolis police officer held him down with a knee on Floyd’s neck. Some protests have reportedly led to destruction of property, and police in some cities have responded by using force against protesters and journalists.

“I don’t see how in the world, a thing like that could happen in the first place and especially when an individual is crying out, you know, and saying they can’t breathe,” Justice said of Floyd’s death. “I can’t see how any West Virginian could think that that’s excusable — and we don’t.”

Justice said he does not believe a similar crime could happen in West Virginia.

“I can’t fathom one of our West Virginia State Police, National Guard or whoever it may be behaving in a way [like] what happened with Mr. George Floyd in Minneapolis,” Justice said. “That’s not going to happen in West Virginia.”

However, police in West Virginia have been accused of using excessive force against minorities.

Freda Gilmore, a black woman, has sued two Charleston Police officers, claiming they punched her last fall. In 2017, two other Charleston Police officers were accused of using excessive force on two black children.

So far, protests in West Virginia have been characterized as peaceful, although Martinsburg Police are investigating after shots were fired at a Sunday event.

During a virtual news briefing Monday, Justice repeatedly alluded to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s teachings of non-violence. While Justice called Floyd’s death “inexcusable,” he said he would call on the National Guard should protests become violent.

Justice said he hoped to strike a balance between protesting police brutality and maintaining order.

“We’ve got to be on our best game as far as how to handle this, because people are hurting and people are frustrated and, at the same time, we’ve got to protect our properties and people’s rights to those properties, and we’ve got to police and protect our people as well.”

Justice and state coronavirus czar Dr. Clay Marsh urged those exercising their First Amendment rights to wear masks and stay socially distant to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

“If you were in a peaceful protest, with a gathering in excess of 25 people, surely to goodness please at least wear masks and stay a little bit of part as a part as you possibly can,” Justice said.

Marsh said West Virginia’s rate of person-to-person spread of the virus has increased in recent weeks.

“We cherish our First Amendment rights to free speech and to demonstrate peacefully. But we also know that the coronavirus, COVID-19, thrives on person-to-person contact,” Marsh said.

The coronavirus has disproportionately affected minority populations, including African Americans. According to data updated Monday by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, African Americans accounted for nearly 7 percent of the state’s positive cases, a community making up a little more than 4 percent of the state’s total population.

West Virginians Rally From Panhandle To Coalfields For Justice After Police Violence, Black Deaths

West Virginians across the state came together in protest over the weekend, joining thousands across the country demanding action after the killings of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Breonna Taylor in Louisville, both at the hands of police.

People gathered in Huntington, Charleston, Morgantown, Parkersburg, Fairmont, Beckley and elsewhere, from the Eastern Panhandle to the southern coalfields. There was even a “virtual rally” Sunday on Facebook for those who wanted to participate but maintain social distancing.

In Charleston, hundreds of people, many wearing face masks, gathered outside City Hall and the police department Sunday afternoon, chanting, “I can’t breathe,” Floyd’s last words that also called up the 2014 death of Eric Garner, a black man who died in a police chokehold in New York City.

“[The police] have this mentality of ‘us against them,’” said Mike, one black protestor in Charleston, who declined to provide a last name. “They have to realize, we’re the taxpayers. We employ them. Their job is to protect and serve, not to intimidate and murder,” he said.

Protestors gathered outside Charleston City Hall, where the police department is located, Sunday afternoon.

“There should’ve been 10 times as many people out here today,” said Jennifer Moore, a white woman from Charleston. “Where are they at? White people can’t keep sitting at home, saying ‘Oh, that’s terrible. That’s awful,’ and then that be the end of it.”

The crowd continued to grow as a few hundred people stayed chanting outside City Hall for hours, leaving at one point to march around the block.

Floyd, a 46-year-old bouncer and security guard, died outside a Minneapolis community store on Monday, May 25, after a police officer pushed his knee into Floyd’s neck for more than eight minutes. Taylor was a 26-year-old medical worker in Louisville, Kentucky, who police shot in March in her own apartment.

Although the rallies were organized in response to police violence elsewhere, West Virginia has had its share of alleged discrimination and abuse from law enforcement. Last fall, the Charleston Police Department’s policy for use of force came under fire after a young black woman was hospitalized following her arrest by two police officers.

The woman, Freda Gilmore, sued the city in December. The case is still pending in federal court, with trial set for January 2021.

Charleston Police Chief James Hunt said Monday he understands “the community has a reason to be mad.”

“I along with the officers… know that that officer in Minneapolis was in the wrong. We support what our protestors are behind, and we let our protestors know that,” said Hunt, who was not chief at the time of the use-of-force incident. “If they have ideas or grievances directed toward the Charleston police department, I’ll gladly listen.”

Black Lives Matter West Virginia, which in 2017 led a protest outside the state Capitol following the deadly White Supremacy rally that year in Charlottesville, Va., has stated that the group is not coordinating its own events, but members are monitoring those throughout the state and sharing resources.

The organization said it’s collecting face masks and organizing funds for bond and mutual aid, in case the largely peaceful events result in arrests.

Protest organizers continue to receive threats of violence. Men armed with rifles and handguns were on the sidelines of a Parkersburg protest Sunday night, in an apparent counter protest. According to the Wood County Sheriff’s Office, there were no confrontations between the two groups. In Martinsburg, police say they’re investigating after shots were fired during a Sunday protest. One man with a gun showed up to the Charleston event on Sunday, but police escorted him away from the area.

Crowds at the Wheeling protest Sunday evening were compact despite guidance from medical experts for the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

These gatherings come as most medical experts continue to advocate against large, in-person activities due to the coronavirus, especially as data shows how it disproportionately affects minority populations.

According to data Monday from the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, African Americans accounted for nearly 7 percent of the state’s positive cases, a community making up a little more than 4 percent of the state’s total population. Other minority groups made up 15 percent of the state’s positive cases.

Health officials also have reported black West Virginians are hospitalized more than whites for the coronavirus, and they experience symptoms more often.

In Wheeling, WVPB reporters noted little room for social distancing. A sidewalk protest swelled onto the street in front of the Wheeling police department and city building. Once the police closed the street where protests were occurring, some room was provided for social distancing for those that wanted it. But most of the crowd stayed compact, circling around various speakers who explained their experiences to the crowd.

One virtual rally between black leaders, elected officials, candidates for office and advocacy groups allowed more for social distancing.

Jerry Carr, Jr., of the Morgantown NAACP stated during that rally this was the first time he could recall not taking to the streets in protest.

“We cannot wait centuries to solve this problem,” Carr said. “What has to happen is immediate action. … Even the people who don’t think they’re impacted, they’re definitely feeling the effects of all this.”

Several more protests are set for this week, including an event in Morgantown on Tuesday.

Reporters Roxy Todd, Corey Knollinger and Glynis Board contributed to this report.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story included protests in Athens, Mercer County. There’s no evidence there were any rallies there over the weekend.