In Avon on Tuesday, dozens of students and community members gathered at the Avon Free Public Library and then marched to Avon High for a rally one year after the murder of George Floyd.
“The theme of our march is ‘We are still here,’” said Maddi Dwyer, an Avon High junior. “We wanted to prove as a club we are not faltering and we will remain committed and here to social justice.”
“I am extremely proud of our students in Avon. They have really stepped up,” said Rose-Marie Mouning, club co-advisor.
Students call their club Avon Voices for Equity.
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And they’re pushing for classmates to become leaders in the fight for equality and to help schools tackle the difficult issues.
“People will become complacent and say ‘Oh the summer of 2020 is over. Black Lives Matter should be over.’ No, these things still happen and they are still relevant in our society today and they still need to be recognized,” said Sam Hoefer, an Avon High junior.
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“I feel it’s important to do this march to get to incite change in our community because the topic of race in Avon is such a touchy subject and people don’t want to address that there is, that there are inequities and we do need to change them,” said Meimouna Thioune, an Avon High sophomore.
According to a state report, 64% of the Avon School District is made up of white students, and Black students account for about five percent.
“I feel like because there are low numbers people don’t feel the need to address to because it’s not really affecting the majority of people,” said Thioune.
That’s why students say making their voices heard is especially important in the fight for equality.
Now they are hoping the last year is not just a moment and becomes a movement.
“If you don’t have an emotional connection to something you’re going to slowly forget about it,” said Caitlin Garcia-Stevenson, an Avon High sophomore.
One student told us it still didn’t feel right that to help bring it about change it took millions of people watching the murder of George Floyd.
