Under sunny skies, and a steady breeze, about 60 locals gathered at San Angelo’s City Hall Monday on Presidents’ Day to protest what is happening in the country right now.
The protest opened with the crowd singing the National Anthem, as event organizer China Young led the assembly.
Young then told the attendees that today’s protest was being held “in the spirit of building community.”
“Community is the strongest defense we have against forces that try to destroy our compassion for humanity,” she said. “So let’s make genuine connections right now. Meet the person standing next to you if you don’t already know them.
“This is a very small community, so you’re probably already a friend-of-a-friend.”
Organizers planned a few songs to sing during the protest, and a local performer, Savannah Floyd, delivered an oration from “Julius Caesar” by William Shakespeare.
Local educator Nick Hill came to the protest to say a few words.
“I asked for a couple of minutes today…this is what I came up with.
“I stand before you today with a simple message,” he said. “The government we have today is not working for the people.
“It’s not working for the poor, the vulnerable, or those struggling. It is working to protect the rich, the powerful, and the corporations that keep their pockets full while the rest of us are left behind.
“Look around: We see people without homes while billionaires get richer and richer every day.
“Children go to bed hungry, and families work multiple jobs trying to make ends meet, but never get ahead.”
Hill said Americans are tired of empty promises from political leaders who talk about helping regular Americans, but actually work full time for “corporate friends.”
“Congress is supposed to be ‘for the people,'” he said. “But it is not.”
Hill went on to cite leaders supporting for-profit healthcare over the needs of people who can’t afford to see doctors, while providing generous handouts to companies that pollute our air and water.
“Meanwhile the poor, the working class, and the marginalized are left behind, having their rights taken away, and their voices silenced.”
In closing, Hill urged these leaders to look deeply into the Christian tradition they espouse, and compare the words of Jesus to the actions of the Trump Administration.
“Jesus sat and ate with the poor and marginalized, and the outcasts of society,” he said “He didn’t come to support the powerful and the wealthy… Jesus stood by those who were left behind, showing that true power lies not in money and control, but in loving our neighbor even more than we love ourselves.”
Janna Simms spoke; she grew up in Louisiana farm country and wanted to speak about the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
“I am a farmer’s granddaughter,” she said. “And I’m looking at this abolition of USAID, and we have lost for some farmers half of their income. The government buys it and sends it overseas to feed the hungry, but it also goes to feed hungry people in the United States.
“It helps the farmers make a living.”
Simms said she doesn’t know what will happen to the farmers who counted on this income and she’s
worried.
“So what are we, the caring people of San Angelo, going to do about this?” she asked.
Simms said she thinks about whether or not she could have done more to change the outcome of the last election. Worked harder, or sent more emails or postcards.
She was pretty upset that Trump won a second term. Since then she has been concentrating on her own mental health, and taking time to go to the gym, which she encouraged others to do as well.
Besides that, she said, the best thing people can do is look out for each other, and she told the crowd that she would be over at the voter registration table later, and she’d be glad to share her contact information with anyone in need of support, whether it was cooking or volunteering to go to the gym with them.
Simms also mentioned that she is a Navy veteran who served from 1973 to 1975.
Following Simms, organizer China Young took a few minutes to read the petition letter she composed to Rep. August Pfluger, for which she is collecting signatures. A link to the petition appears at the conclusion of this report.
Next upon the steps of City Hall was community leader Sherley Spears, who brought a message of hope.
“I know it’s a little windy, and a little cool,” she told listeners. “But I am so glad to see this group of people here.
“I wanted to speak to a couple of things…first of all, I am a Baby Boomer,” she told them. “And that means I grew up in the civil-rights movement.
“And then, as a Black person, I’ve had a lot of different experiences in this country than many of you may have.”
She said that she is proud to have grown up in Fort Worth, and
“I have a unique perspective, I think, and I’m looking at the faces and the grey hair in front of me, so I think that you all will understand what I am talking about.
“I like the word we’re using today: the word ‘resistance,’ because that is a word that I grew up understanding very young in my life.
“When people are doing things to you, or people you love and care about, that are not correct, or not proper — or joyful — you have to resist!
“Today is an opportunity for this community to get started, and we’ve resisted before,” she said.
Spears then spoke for a few minutes about elections, and the importance of participation by voting and standing for local offices, before continuing with her remarks.
“The things that affect you the most happen at the local level,” she admonished.
Sherley Spears said she primarily wanted to speak regarding the recent all-out war on “DEI,” or “diversity, equity and inclusion” that has taken over the public discourse.
“I believe a lot of people think DEI is about race only,” she said. “It is not. Diversity, equity and inclusion is all of the things we used to not consider in our government.
“It’s the disabled person; it’s the mother with several children; it’s the LGBTQ member in our community; it is the black person, the brown person; anyone who has been disenfranchised through the disregard of our Constitution for many years. All of that is a part of DEI.”
“So when you see “DEI” don’t just think black people or brown people.”
Spears said what the current administration is dismantling is opportunities.
“It’s opportunities for first-generation high-school graduates, and first-generation college graduates,” she said. “Whose legacy of wealth was stolen from them because of Jim Crow and racism, and who only need a little (financial) help to attend college.”
Spears talked about the news story a couple of weeks ago where the president of the United States suggested that a mid-air collision between a military helicopter and a commercial airliner was caused by “DEI” hires.
“That’s just nonsense,” she said.
Spears also touched on immigration, and the use of rhetorical terminology to paint migrants in a poor light, before shifting over to share strategies for resistance.
She urged listeners to pay close attention to what’s going on, and to participate in the civic process. She told the older listeners in the crowd to “give a civics lesson from your perspective” to the younger people in their lives, and she urged everyone to “resist the craziness” and focus on traditional Christian values.
“Years ago, it was WWJD,” she said. “What would Jesus do? Well I can assure you that he would not put up with the mistreatment of any of these people… God is Love.”
Spears then led the assembly in a beautiful rendition of the first verse of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” commonly known as the Black National Anthem.
The final speaker of the afternoon was the Rev. Scottie Shelton, associated pastor of Exodus Metropolitan Community Church, a completely-inclusive congregation in Abilene.
Rev. Shelton, a veteran, talked about inclusivity to begin her remarks.
“I love the fact that we are actually across the street from the Presbyterian Church,” she told the crowd. “They are supposed to be an open and affirming congregation, because their denomination is open and affirming.
“I’ll tell you, I came out when I was 17. I’ve been a lesbian for 52 years, so I’ve seen some things, and I’ve marched in some things, and I’ve shouted some things, and carried signs.
“You know, the Bible is full of justice. It talks about justice all of the time.
“Micah 6:8 asks, “What does God require of you?
“Act justly: You’re doing that. Walk humbly with your God.”
The pastor went on to urge allies and churchgoers of every persuasion to come together and oppose the weaponization of religion.
She talked about her experiences as a clergy member active in Austin in the 1980s, during the AIDS epidemic, and was briefly joined on the steps by Simms who wanted to say a word in accord with Rev. Shelton.
“Our allies are the difference,” Rev. Shelton said. “And we have to disrupt things. We have to disrupt racism and disrupt transphobia.
She then broke away for a moment to speak directly to the trans community.
“I want to speak to my trans family right now,” she said. “If you know somebody who is trans, the most important thing you can do is listen to their story.
“The most important thing you can do is acknowledge them as real.
“Use their proper pronoun,” she urged. “Use the name they’ve chosen.”
She said that goes especially to the most vulnerable members of that community, who are especially in danger of domestic violence, murder and self harm.
“If you ever go to a Transgender Day of Remembrance, you will hear their stories over, and over, and over again,” she said.
Rev. Shelton then discussed some spiritual practices that she suggests, including finding and protecting one’s “spiritual center.”
“Find your spiritual center,” she counseled. “Whatever that is. Find it.
“They have tried to take that from you. They have tried to tell you that it doesn’t belong to you, but that is a lie.
“It most certainly belongs to you!”
The Reverend then brought a message of hope to all faiths and beliefs.
“That’s what is great about our country: Religious freedom!
“I’m a Christian, and I believe what the Lord said; that ‘Whatsoever we do unto the least of these…’ and those of you who are Christian know that He separated the sheep from the goats, and the goats were very confused by that.
“And He’s going to say to them ‘I don’t know you,” and that’s liable to be rude awakening.”
She ended by saying that, more than anything, she wanted listeners to go to their churches and spiritual communities and their leadership and address these concerns directly.
“Put them on the spot,” she suggested. “Make them accountable.”
Afterword
In a brief interview after the protest, China Young said that she feels the protest was very worthwhile for all in attendance, and she hopes that the community can come together and build on resistance together moving forward.
Her petition letter to Congressman Pfluger can be seen and signed at Change.org
Whom to Write
______________
U.S. Congress
Rep. August Pfluger
Local office: 33 E. Twohig Ave., Ste. B San Angelo, TX 76903 or 2202 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515, or call 202-225-3605
U.S. Senate
Sen. Ted Cruz
300 E. 8th, Suite 961. Austin, TX 78701 or call (512) 916-5834 and 167 Russell Building, Washington, DC 20510 or call 202-224-5922
Sen. John Cornyn
221 W. Sixth St., Ste. 1350, Austin, TX, 78701 or call 512-469-6034 and 517 Hart Building Washington, DC 20510 or call 202-224-2934
