Community members from the Greater Hartford area made their way to the Capitol City for a peaceful demonstration to discuss the next steps after a month of protesting for justice and equity.
The rally was hosted by 'My People Clinical Services," the Urban League of Greater Hartford, and the Beta Sigma Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Activate Connecticut's purpose is to call to action to activate the social, mental, and political power of the Black community. The organizers hosted three separate rallies: one for men, women, and teenagers. A host of speakers went before the crowd to empower Black families and looked to provide them with the knowledge needed to combat systemic racism and other forms of oppression.
"We want this rally to give people actionable steps that they can take to improve the lives of their families, friends and themselves," said Dayeshell Muhammad, Director of Operations with My People Clinical Services. "We also want to make sure that we're giving attention to our Black women because many Black women are forced to care for others and are usually left without anyone caring for them."
The leaders discussed specific ways to activate and mobilize their power into Black voices, advocacy, dollars, and leadership.
"I think given all of the recent events that happened inside the country has promoted people to realize the importance of casting their ballots and getting their voices heard," said Tyron Harris, President of Alpha Phi Alpha, Incorporated. "We wanted to continue the education and spread awareness to the community so they can continue beyond their social media platforms and bringing forth change."
Abdul-Rahmaan I. Muhammad is the Executive Director of My People Clinical Services and said that it's important to spread key information amongst African Americans.
"A lot of times in our communities, we don't have all the information," said Muhammad. "We decided to try and give the people who came out to Activate CT 2020 with the resources they need to stay afloat."
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The three groups plan to host an Activate CT Conference in the future.
