By Mesha Jefferson
I grew up biracial in a small, conservative town. Still, after living for years in Austin, moving back to one was a culture shock — it felt like going back in time.
For the last three years I’ve lived in Volusia County — home to Daytona Beach, many small towns and suburbs, and a population that gave about 55 percent of its vote to Donald Trump in 2016.
Racial divides are still evident in Daytona and the surrounding areas. Daytona itself is divided by U.S. Route 92, with poorer people of color primarily residing south of the road. The further north you go, the richer — and whiter — it becomes.
I’ve had my fair share of interactions with racists here. I often feel out of place. Even in my own neighborhood, I don’t feel safe walking around without my dog or another person.
Yet even here, people are organizing demonstrations to protest racism and police violence, and to affirm that black lives matter.
At first, I was hesitant to attend. In addition to Covid-19, which is now surging in Florida, right-wing counter-protesters injured at least one person during the first weekend of demonstrations here. Still, it felt important to show up, to speak up against both local racists and systematic oppression.
The first demonstration I attended was a Black Lives Matter march through New Smyrna Beach (population: 27,000). I recognized the neighborhood we were marching through: lower income, government housing, and predominantly people of color. People there were well aware of the disfranchisement of inequality.
Along the way, we had a police escort. It was surreal following a police cruiser to our destination, considering my drive to attend came from anger about the police brutality black people face. This was a recurring theme in the other protests I attended in nearby DeLand, Ormond, and Daytona — they have all been at the convenience of police “support.”
These demonstrations have been encouraging. So have supportive comments on community social media platforms. Mike Chitwood, the local sheriff, is now meeting with community members to answer questions and listen to suggestions.
Towns like mine aren’t alone. New research suggests the demonstrations taking place now are the broadest in U.S. history, showing up not only in diverse, progressive cities, but also in conservative, majority-white towns.
Still, I worry that people will stop paying attention, just as many of us appear to have done with COVID-19. And I worry that while police make gestures toward reform when they’re in hot water, implementing those changes could be much harder.
Really though, I am tired of asking and demanding. The black community has been asking and demanding my whole life. This is not just a black issue. Moving on from our racist past and present is a fight we all need to be a part of.
I want accountability. I want the system itself to change. I want everyone to recognize, outside of their own comfortable sphere of privilege, that this is about the betterment of all of society, starting with those who have suffered for 400 years.
I believe that marching, shouting, and sharing ideas will lead to a better tomorrow for my county — and for the country. We are starting to recognize it’s not enough anymore to simply not be racist. It’s time for an anti-racist movement that everyone needs to be a part of.
We aren’t like New York down here, but we’re ready for our voices to be heard too. I do hope this movement will result in major reform for equity, equality, and much deserved peace to the black community.
Mesha Jefferson is a 25-year-old activist with a social work background.
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Sherry says
Something to really think about from Jon Stewart:
Former “Daily Show” host Jon Stewart thinks the Black Lives Matter protests that have erupted across the United States in recent weeks might finally lead to more accountability due to the increased size and intensity of those rallies in the wake of George Floyd’s death.
“Maybe. Look, every advancement toward equality has come with the spilling of blood. Then, when that’s over, a defensiveness from the group that had been doing the oppressing,” Stewart told the New York Times Magazine in an interview published Monday. “There’s always this begrudging sense that black people are being granted something, when it’s white people’s lack of being able to live up to the defining words of the birth of the country that is the problem. There’s a lack of recognition of the difference in our system. Chris Rock used to do a great bit: ”No white person wants to change places with a black person. They don’t even want to exchange places with me, and I’m rich.’ It’s true. There’s not a white person out there who would want to be treated like even a successful black person in this country. And if we don’t address the why of that treatment, the how is just window dressing.”
Stewart added: “You know, we’re in a bizarre time of quarantine. White people lasted six weeks and then stormed a state building with rifles, shouting: ‘Give me liberty! This is causing economic distress! I’m not going to wear a mask, because that’s tyranny!’ That’s six weeks versus 400 years of quarantining a race of people. The policing is an issue, but it’s the least of it. We use the police as surrogates to quarantine these racial and economic inequalities so that we don’t have to deal with them.”
Sherry Epley says
Thank you for your perspective Mesha. Black Lives Need to Matter “EQUALLY”!
Stay safe and healthy!
Brandon Cross says
I hear you and agree with all you say.
What I don’t understand is how this is happening???
The 1964 Civil Rights Act was a game changer for All races.
This legislation led to further minority assistance, low income housing, food assistance, Medicaid.
These are all good programs and have helped many. Yet, for the most part, the people that need and use these services haven’t improved their lives.
WHY???
Along with increased services, the urban community became more diverse… in fact if you research major urban areas they are completely politically controlled by minorities, especially African-Americans.
Again… do some research..
Because of the 1964 Civil Rights Act past shameful racist acts have, for the most part, subsided.
Yet Racism rears it’s head all to often.
Here’s the rub… over the past 50 years, due to programs such as affirmative action, many wrongs were corrected.
Look at most major metropolitan areas are controlled by African-Americans.
With all the strife and hate arising particularly in liberally controlled areas, why is this social injustice occurring?
Perhaps we should look at these liberal oftentimes minority local governments,
and the leadership they have provided over this time.
It’s easy to blame racism as the cause of all wrongs, yet what have those directly in control done to elevate these concerns… actually nothing until a problem occurs… then they hold up the race card!!
I would Love to have debate on Anything I have said.
Brandon D. Cross
erobot says
We need to stop this totally contrived virus nonsense and take care of the real danger >>>>>>> the worldwide globalist movement wants to rule the world. The issue isn’t racism, Russian involvement, impeachment, Chinese viruses, etc. The issue is Trump. They must defeat and remove him as he is standing in their way.
Trailer Bob says
Nothing new here…next.
MyTwoCents says
Yup, the name definitely matches the response. Great Job Trailer Bob! Rinse & repeat. NEXT…
Trailer Bob says
So you judge people that easily 2cents? I own a trailer rental business genius. I find your comment more ignorant and lacking of even trying to reflect on what and why I said it. If you notice, I wasn’t responding to any one individual, I was responding to all the anger spouted, all the nonsense of some people, nothing new…like people still putting each other down, arguing, etc. Same old mantra over and over and over. So, this IS nothing new. Next, as in “can everyone stop putting each other down (like you did towards me) and be nice. SO MyTwoCents, on a scale of 1 – 10, 1 being opinionated and 10 being just an asshole, I would have to give you a 10. Contrats.
MyTwoCents says
Funny you got soooo triggered. There was absolutely NO judgment at all. I couldn’t care less about you or anyone else not meaningful in my life. Grow up Trailer Bob. Congratulations on your company since you just HAD to share that info, no one cares! Like I said rinse & repeat. NEXT….
Sherry says
How completely “dismissive” of an article containing another point of view. A great example of discrimination that is so deeply entrenched that other voices are merely flicked away without a moment’s thought. Unbecoming of someone who occasionally makes a pretty good point on other issues. Disappointed. . . .
Trailer Bob says
Please see my reply to “MyTwoSense”. Apparently I should have explained my comment better. “We need to stop this totally contrived virus nonsense and take care of the real danger >>>>>>> the worldwide globalist movement wants to rule the world” was what was on my mind. As I read it, I realise that my comment didn’t follow that persons. Don’t know what happened, but I am sorry how it came out. I am fully in favor of all of us seeing each other for who we are and not judge by skin color. No one is perfect, and I regret (after looking through the comments relationship to others) that it was taken as a negative against equality and respect for all people…at least if they deserve it, which some don’t. Enjoy your week! Bob
Trailer Bob says
I hope you can see the person who commented before me that I was TRYING to reply to. Here it is “We need to stop this totally contrived virus nonsense and take care of the real danger >>>>>>> the worldwide globalist movement wants to rule the world. The issue isn’t racism, Russian involvement, impeachment, Chinese viruses, etc. The issue is Trump. They must defeat and remove him as he is standing in their way.
Bob Gore says
Yip yip hurrah. Long live the south…
Jane Gentile-Youd says
I was raised in NYC… we didn’t have this race issue. When I worked for an airline ( Alitalia) I made many jaunts to Montego Bay and saw none of this. Black, Asian, White, Indians, all mixed working together, marrying each other. Why is so much of our country still so backward and bigoted? My best nurse who sent me to my best heart doctor recently is black; my Goddaughter is black.. Am I abnormal?
Seanpeckham says
How about stop complaining and worry about your own life .
The more everyone complains the more the racist people win because they know they are getting to us . So they keep the same mentality instead of learning!
Kill them with peace not protest !
The protesters are people that have nothing better to do but complain no jobs no purpose but say everything is everyone else’s fault ! Move on , move away , start your own town stop trashing ours ! No one needs to march we just need to talk ! Everyone in my neighborhood just wants to complain.
Come on bunnell do something for your selfs instead of asking for a hand out !
Trailer Bob says
Perfect idea. I do not understand why so many people got so much hate in them. My life is pretty good, my wife is awesome, I am not dying of a disease (yet). ANd I don’t have to see all the hate every time I read the papers. So Thanks.
Christopher T Lemke says
As individual citizens, we can only do so much to influence outcomes. But if we vote to elect people who actually will represent our interests, then we can make progress. Take, for example, the large cities in the US. Chicago, LA, Baltimore and NYC have, for the most part, been run by one party which has failed its black population for the past 60 years or so. Yet, the same bad party returns to power year after year. Check the black murder rates in these cities. It’s appalling. There are a lot of people who profit from the racial divide. Change will come when the people kick these losers out of office and elect people who actually will do something to help the black community. They don’t care about your protests. And haven’t for a very long time.
So, don’t complain about injustices when you elect to keep the same party in power.
FlaglerBear says
Log into You Tube and look up “police running man challenge” and “police lip sync challenge.” You’ll find hundreds of short videos produced by police departments all over the USA (and the world for that matter); videos of police officers “dancing and singing” with members of their respective communities, young, old, white, black, brown, etc…. Most of these were produced AFTER the Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown incidents. Police/Community relations certainly seemed to be improving, or so one thought if you watched these videos. Police officers are involved in hundreds of thousands of contacts with citizens yearly without incident. Many of them positive. Obviously many we never hear about. Why would we? And then one rouge cop commits the unthinkable, and every cop in the nation has to pay the price? So, I guess things weren’t that great to begin with? Cops escort protestors and they get “the finger.” In NYC, protestors chant “pigs in a blanket, fry em like bacon” I guess no good deed goes unpunished. How did we get from George Floyd being killed to doing away with Aunt Jemima pancake syrup? Is this overkill?
Trailer Bob says
I personally believe it is overkill when Aunt Jemima gets thrown into the mix. I always loved the bottle and aunt Jemimas picture…It is impossible to change everything that we can imaginatively come up with and equate it with hate. We need to have a kinder dialogue and those of us who give a damn about other good people need to be the loudest, need to push that proper agenda peacefully and respectably.
I believe that most of us reasonable and caring people want change, but looting and burning buildings, people getting shot at rallies, and blaming everything on one particular group will not get us where we need to be. There are good and bad people of all races and nationalities, so lets be real and lets do this compassionately and honestly. Looting and burning down people’s properties that are not all equal in thought is not the way to go. If we want this change in understanding to come to fruition, we need to be honest and compassionate for all mankind. If we are to get over racism, we need to all get into the race and aims towards the finish line. Peace.
FlaglerBear says
Trailer Bob, Flagler County is not a huge place, but we did have our protest here; and from all news reports, things went rather smoothly. Are we lucky here? Or is there something the Sheriff doing that should be a model for the rest of the country. Remember, everything seemed to be going great, until the Minneapolis incident. Is Flagler County a racist tinderbox? God I hope not!
Frank W says
The greatest danger to the lives of Black people are other Black people. Yet with all the black on black murders there is never any outcry or demands or indignation. WHY?