'Real change usually starts in our communities'

ELGIN – The thrashing wind at the corner of Nesler Road and South Street in Elgin wasn't about to completely drown out chants of "the people united will never be defeated."

Four Burlington Central High School 2020 graduates: Ellie Walsh, Olivia Ward, Sophia Jandry and Grace Thompson decided to organize their own local Black Lives Matter rally on June 10 after being unable to participate in the movements in downtown Chicago over the past few weeks.

Beyond brief, personal anecdote speeches and side-of-the-road chanting, the rally featured booths for electronic voter registration, sign making and t-shirts with messages of "Remember, Respect, Speak" or the symbol of a raised black fist.

About 75 people attended the road-side rally.

"A lot of us here have not faced police brutality, but it's still really important to raise awareness," Ward said with chants of "I can't breathe" in the background. "And, honestly, even more important to raise awareness in places where a lot of people haven't experienced it themselves. And, they have to learn about it."

"Real change usually starts in our communities," Ward continued. "It starts with our hard conversations with our friends and peers. That's why it's super important to do things locally."

The chants continued and alternated as the rally progressed: "Hands up; don't shoot," "Black Lives Matter," "What's his name: [George Floyd]," and "No justice; no peace." One girl told the crowd the "I don't know why I have to grow up with this."

Former Burlington Central basketball standouts Edward Wells and Kat Schmidt were among the attendees in support.

As students and seeing the movement grow over the passing weeks, Wells said "it's been very big."

"I felt like last week was a big part, and I feel like it's good if we keep pushing," he explained. "We have everyone's attention so why not keep going?"

"I feel like it's really important for me especially [to attend today]," Wells continued.

Schmidt, the Chronicle's reigning girls basketball Player of the Year, thinks it's "amazing to see the community supporting it all."

Schmidt held a sign with a quote from Benjamin Franklin: "Justice will not be served until those who are unaffected are as outraged as those who are.”

"The quote I think is really what I've been trying to educate myself on," Schmidt said referencing the sign. "...even though maybe I have a larger privilege, it's still not going to be right until we all are upset about it – Even if we're not affected."