Hundreds Participate in Father’s Day March to Protest Racial Injustice

Davis – A crowd estimated at 750 people in Davis—perhaps larger—comprised of children and community members of all races and ethnicities walked 2.6 miles on Sunday from Playfields Park on Research Park Drive to John Barovetto Park on Alhambra to honor the victims of racial injustice and police brutality, and to highlight the importance of talking to children early about race and racial prejudice.

One of the organizers, Nathalie Minya, said “Father’s Day takes on extra meaning when you consider all the Black fathers, brothers, and sons who have lost their lives as a result of systemic racism in our society.”

Claudia Sharygin called this “a moment of crisis and a moment of opportunity.”

A group of 12 women put together the event in a week’s time, with the logistics and planning to make an event of this size and scale happen.

“We are here to acknowledge the lives that have been lost,” Sharygin said.  “The situation in this country where our group, African Americans and in particular African American men, cannot live in peace.  We cannot live with the same level of comfort and security, lack of anxiety and lack of stress as the general population.”

She said this was true “even when folks are blessed with opportunities, education, privilege—all of that doesn’t matter when it’s late at night and someone is driving down a road and they’re a stranger.

“This issue of racism, of discrimination, it falls on us, because we are visible,” she continued.  “We are the visible representation of the inequalities and the historic inequities in this country.  Those inequities don’t only affect Black people and they are spreading.”

She said that over the last 30 to 40 years “we have set up an economic system through our choices and through our political inactions where we have safe, prosperous, healthy, well educated enclaves like Davis, and they’re shrinking and going away, they are exclusive and people cannot get in,” she said.  “We have an in and an out.”

Another speaker, Jeremiah Johnson from the Sacramento group JUICE, came to work in solidarity “because we all have a common goal.”  He said, “That common goal is fixing justice here in America.”

He told the crowd, “We’re going to keep it peaceful because at the end of the day, all we’re really asking for is peace.”

He said, “It starts at home.  What you do here is good, however, if you’re not taking action besides the march, you’re not doing anything.  Let that be known.

“Y’all are doing this for people like me.  I travel the world through and through,” he said.  “It’s very very scary for me to go to these small towns that I have to go to because they look at me like I’m ready to rob them.  I have no criminal record.  I have a son I’m doing this for, to make sure he’s provided for.  All I’m trying to do is have my job.  I thank you all for standing up for us—for people who look like me and people who look like you.

“I guarantee if they do it to me, they will do it to you,” he said.

Cindy Pickett, who is leaving the school board in a few weeks, said, “This is how change happens—getting a seat at the table.”

She noted about how decisions are made and how racism becomes systemic, that “it often happens through elected office.”

She said this is a family event, and people ask her what they should do about teaching children about racism.

“It’s easy to point out that racial slurs are bad.  It’s easy to say that black face is dehumanizing,” Pickett said.  “Those are very obvious forms of racism.  What we need to be talking about and teaching our kids about is systemic racism.  What that really looks like.”

Pickett asked the crowd to think about the war on drugs.

“That seemed like a good thing.  We were talking about it in the 90s—we want to get rid of drugs, great,” she said.  “But what drugs do they criminalize?”

She said, ask your kids what drugs are they criminalizing and “who is more likely to be incarcerated because of this law?  Draw the lines through the dots.  They can see this policy that on its surface looks benign, but in fact harms Black people, Brown people and people of color.  That’s what we need kids to be able to recognize.”

She said, “Sometimes this means that you personally aren’t going to benefit.”  She talked about how she had to fight for the pass-no pass policy this past term at Davis High “because the kids that don’t have the resources, who don’t have access to technology (are those) who are going to suffer.”

“Talk to your kids about racism, show them through examples at the dinner what systemic racism looks like, and tell them to be there and stand up for policies that protect Black and Brown people and promote equity and justice,” she said.

—David M. Greenwald reporting


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About The Author

David Greenwald is the founder, editor, and executive director of the Davis Vanguard. He founded the Vanguard in 2006. David Greenwald moved to Davis in 1996 to attend Graduate School at UC Davis in Political Science. He lives in South Davis with his wife Cecilia Escamilla Greenwald and three children.

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57 Comments

  1. Alan Miller

    Way too many people were standing/marching way too close together, even for an outdoor setting.   Action can be taken in many ways; as well, it isn’t necessary to mix that closely – you can stand further apart.  Some were people who stayed further apart, but in the nucleus, people were very close.  Irresponsible.

    There were many calls to ‘teach your children about racism’.  How about teaching your children about the nature of the spread of the Covid-19 virus, as well?  How about teaching your children action alternatives to in-person action?  How about teaching your children to be smarter than mommy and daddy?  How about teaching your children to actually stand far away from other people, and enjoy people’s company from a few feet further away?  How about teaching your children the virus doesn’t care about racism nor righteousness?  How about teaching your children that virus spread stats are growing in Yolo County?  How about teaching your children that the virus is spreading faster in communities of color, and so to be vigilant about distancing?  How about teaching your children that one’s own irresponsible behavior in ignoring the spread of the virus can kill those we love, and kill strangers we don’t know?

    I went, I kept my distance, and when people gathered more densely near me, I moved further back.  What is happening in our society regarding racism is necessary, a long-time coming, welcome, and can absolutely be done differently.  These are hard times for everyone; taking action without spreading the virus is doable.  Please, do those things instead; or gather, farther apart.

    Your righteousness will not protect you from the virus, and right-wing righteousness won’t protect Trump supporters in a stadium, either.

    1. David Greenwald

      Pretty much 90 to 98 percent of the people wore masks. What we’ve seen so far is little covid-spread in groups where people are wearing masks.

      1. Bill Marshall

        The 2-10% (DG’s est.) who didn’t wear mask, at a minimum, should have followed the 6 ft- 2 m separation protocol… right now the recommendation is either/or, but “and” is not a bad idea, but as it stands now, is “overkill”, but not a bad idea to ensure “underkill”/illness transmission.

        Those who did neither (ex., Tulsa ‘rally’) are subject to public shaming, and/or exclusion… for at least 14 days… IMO… the Tulsa attendees should be at least subject to the 14 day self-isolation… will be interesting to see (in 3-4 weeks) if there is a spike in incidences/hospitalizations/deaths in OK…

        It’s all about risk assessment/tolerance/avoidance…

        BTW, if masks are only effective @ 90% prevention level, and same level just for social distancing, the combined effectiveness would be ~ 99% effective… works for me… particularly in any given setting, there may be no virus even present… it is not truly ubiquitous…

        1. Keith Olsen

          Those who did neither (ex., Tulsa ‘rally’) are subject to public shaming, and/or exclusion…

          The Tulsa rally monitored everyone’s temperature before entering.  Did this rally or any other BLM rallies do the same?

          What we’ve seen so far is little covid-spread in groups where people are wearing masks.

          You have no way of knowing that being that tracers are not allowed to ask if one attended a protest.

          1. David Greenwald

            Masks work. The other thing is despite the fact that it looked like a solid mass of humanity, people were actually segmented by family for the most part.

        2. Bill Marshall

          Keith… monitoring temps just means, at the moment of measurement, they are asymptomatic for fever… one could be a “typhoid-[pick your name]”, and not show signs of illness… but you could be a carrier, and a ‘spreader’ if you yell and/or chant out…

          Temp-taking is a bit of a joke… tool that if not calibrated and/or not used properly, can easily give false positives or negatives… from what I’ve seen, most administers have about 15-20 seconds in the proper use.

          We’ll see in 3-5 weeks… OK?

          And I know of two local churches who use temps, masks, AND separation to allow admittance…

          1. David Greenwald

            Roger Shapiro, a professor of immunology and infectious diseases at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “When I hear a 1 percent positivity rate, that’s encouraging to me that these protests are not representing new hot spots,” he says. That’s because 1 percent is around the background level of community transmission that might be expected if one were to test a large sample of randomly selected people.

          2. David Greenwald

            From the Bee:

            A week-long surge in coronavirus cases culminated with 267 new cases Friday through Sunday, the biggest three-day increase by far since COVID-19 hit the region three months ago.

            But to the surprise of health officials, most of the spread is not happening at newly reopened nail salons, restaurants and barbers, or at previously hard-hit nursing and assisted care living centers. The surge also does not appear to be related to police brutality protests held in the earlier this month.

            A week-long surge in coronavirus cases culminated with 267 new cases Friday through Sunday, the biggest three-day increase by far since COVID-19 hit the region three months ago.

            But to the surprise of health officials, most of the spread is not happening at newly reopened nail salons, restaurants and barbers, or at previously hard-hit nursing and assisted care living centers. The surge also does not appear to be related to police brutality protests held in the earlier this month.

            Instead, virus trackers are finding the recent surge is happening inside homes, often among extended families and friends during events such as graduation parties.

            Read more here: https://www.sacbee.com/news/coronavirus/article243715507.html?fbclid=IwAR2CdcOJ8cqcxRAO4aVgkzOImn1r65v7VL4xEf2N4bWMRXLu-Dn7eFrLiI0#storylink=cpy

          1. David Greenwald

            The article is two weeks old. We now have data. So why are you using that to argue otherwise. That’s not what the data are saying.

      2. Alan Miller

        Pretty much 90 to 98 percent of the people wore masks.

        I agree, maybe the high side – not so much in some larger protests at least from the photos.  What I was referring to was distancing.  In the area in the shade, people were in there tight.  Were the singers all in one family?  A choir is how the virus spread in that choral group up north.  Believe it or not, you can sing with masks – there’s a beautiful YouTube of a choir in Czechia singing spaced far apart and singing with masks.  Why not use the platform to show people what is possible?

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djc8G1P3kdk&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR1_3brmCRbCoJdlkauw0cgDS8ca0DczPm0ROLww7gdpfazysIOyoYKpiXw

    2. Claudia Sharygin

      Hi Alan – thank you for attending the march. Scrolling through the beautiful photos (thanks David!) the only people I saw not wearing masks were small children (they need to be reminded to keep the masks on) and people who were performing. I agree 100 percent that we all need to be vigilant about maintaining the rules that have kept COVID rates low in Yolo County – so appreciate the reminder.

  2. Jen HigleyChapman

    Thank you for the great coverage, beautiful pictures, and amplification of Black voices! It’s so helpful for the public to hear the messages from the speakers themselves! The Davis community has been showing up. Hopefully they also stay engaged for the long haul.

    1. David Greenwald

      It was not an accident.  From the article: “Father’s Day takes on extra meaning when you consider all the Black fathers, brothers, and sons who have lost their lives as a result of systemic racism in our society.”

  3. Chris Griffith

    After reviewing your pictures I made a very simple observation I only saw about 10 black people in all the pictures.

    How many of these individuals want to join the police department and maybe change the system from within?

    I wonder if any any of these people be interested in joining the district attorney’s office maybe changing the system from within their that would be one way but making a change.

    Drugs in the inner City are destroying black families gang bangers and dealers are killing black men women and children would any of the black lives matter movement like to join the DEA it would be a great way to make a change they can help eradicate drugs 😊

    Was any of the above discussed?

    I think not it’s not part of the real agenda and never will.

     

    1. David Greenwald

      “After reviewing your pictures I made a very simple observation I only saw about 10 black people in all the pictures.”

      I just went through my photos and counted 30 Blacks. Not sure what percentage of the total attendees that represents. Given that Davis is only about 2 percent Black it seemed like a very diverse event by Davis standards.

      “How many of these individuals want to join the police department and maybe change the system from within?”

      Not sure. Not sure that joining the police department is the way to change the system from within. A lot of the problems are systemic and instiuttionalized.

      “I wonder if any any of these people be interested in joining the district attorney’s office maybe changing the system from within their that would be one way but making a change.”

      We have seen a wave of people getting elected to DAs offices as reformers.

      “Drugs in the inner City are destroying black families gang bangers and dealers are killing black men women and children would any of the black lives matter movement like to join the DEA it would be a great way to make a change they can help eradicate drugs”

      Disagree. The war on drugs is a proven failure and nothing is more useless than joining the DEA.

      None of this was discussed. The only one of those ideas that is happening right now is at the DA level. Most of the police reform is focused at changing the rules governing use of force and policng. DEA is part of failure war on drugs.

        1. David Greenwald

          First of all, I don’t speak for the BLM movement.  So I would suggest you ask someone who does.

          I will say my understanding is that BLM is primarily focused on policing and race.

          You may argue it’s too narrow, but let’s pick a different example.  Let’s say I start a group opposed to clear cutting the Amazon rainforest.  Is it really appropriate for someone else to argue that my group needs to address climate change if our goal is to getting Brazil to stop clear cutting forests?  That’s not to say the issue of Climate Change isn’t important, it’s just not the focus on my group.  I see this the same way – narrow focus – not broad.

        2. Chris Griffith

          Good answer 😊

          It would be nice though  on a topic is such as this that a representative monitor the questions on your blog especially after you giving them so much FaceTime on your blog.

        3. Claudia Sharygin

          The Black Lives Matter movement is not a political party; I think it’s more like calling yourself a feminist. Who gets to define what it means to be a feminist? What is the “feminist stance” on specific political issues? It’s really up to the individual to decide for himself or herself.

          If I’m wrong on this I’m happy to be corrected, though 🙂

    2. Alan Miller

      How many of these individuals want to join the police department and maybe change the system from within?

      Many may not want today’s turmoil.  I don’t know how widespread this sentiment is, but I’ve read instances of black police officers being told to the effect, ‘you aren’t black anymore’.  For example this quote from a black officer:   “We’re not OK. Blue doesn’t acknowledge us because we’re Black, and Black doesn’t acknowledge us because we’re blue.”

      https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia-police-black-lives-matter-protests-racism-20200622.html

      1. Chris Griffith

        You know I think as humans we always try and beat up on one another and degrade each other. Maybe one of these days we’ll just learn how to get along with each other. I think we should try to start a new civilization I think we need to kill this one off and start all over again what do you think 😊

      2. Claudia Sharygin

        That’s really sad to hear. For what it’s worth – and completely recognizing that the plural of anecdote is not data – my uncle is a retired Sacramento city police officer, and another local relative of ours works for the FBI.

        After I gave my remarks, I thought that I might have included some discussion about how if we had fewer guns in circulation, police officers might be less in fear for their lives when approaching potential suspects, and less likely to shoot. Policing is REALLY hard work. Police officers hold our lives and our freedom in their hands, just like doctors and lawyers – but they are certainly not paid doctor and lawyer salaries. That’s unfair. With all of the crazy lethal firepower held by American citizens, police officers are justified to be afraid when approaching a potential suspect. I don’t want another Natalie Corona (God rest her soul) any more than I want another George Floyd. So can we reduce the number of firearms – especially handguns and assault weapons, which serve no other purpose than to kill people, no one is going deer hunting with a Glock – please?

        If I had had another 5 minutes I would have said that. (Oh FYI I am the lady with the megaphone quoted at the beginning of the article.)

    1. Chris Griffith

      Yes I’ve seen that. In my humble opinion the BLM movement needs to re-channel their efforts in such a way to where they can be more productive in protecting all black lives.

      1. David Greenwald

        In my opinion the underlying problem is really the same – and it focuses on concentration poverty and racism. But policing is an issue that should be solvable – the other will take far longer.

        1. David Greenwald

          In addition, the lack of trust that most blacks have in policing plays a role in this as well – especially for the Chicago Police who are notoriously bad.

  4. Chris Griffith

    I understand the great state of California is going to start giving black people reparations because their ancestors were slaves.

    I wonder if I start self identifying as a gay black woman if they will give me money also 😁

  5. Chris Griffith

    Is that kind of like a bunch of white people marching in a black lives matter movement March? In my humble opinion it’s kind of like a bunch of white people putting on black face. 😊

    1. Bill Marshall

      Chris…

      I sense you are too young to know… in the late 50’s, 60’s Civil Rights movement, you’d find three main groups of people, all organizing/protesting together… all were targets, to one extent or another by the (mainly White Protestant) KKK, and similar groups…

      Blacks, Jews, and Catholics… the agnostics, atheists, humanists, Protestant Christians were few and far between… as far as being active and vocal…

      The BJC coalition were the ones who put their lives and safety truly ‘on the line’ in the marches and protests… the Jews and Catholics involved were very predominately ‘White’…

    2. Tia Will

      Chris,

      For someone who expressed an interest in bringing folks together, you have made a very presumptuous and offensive comment. My group of mostly white local activists was invited to walk by a black friend of the group. Your thoughtless comment is frankly an insult to all involved, but mostly a reflection of your lack of honest curiosity and willingness to smear others.

      1. John Hobbs

        Tia, are you aware of the “Dunning-Kruger Effect?” First posited by two Cornell psychologusts in 1999 it describes a cognitive bias in which people with low ability at a task overestimate their ability. It is related to the cognitive bias of illusory superiority and comes from the inability of people to recognize their lack of ability. Without the self awareness of metacognition, people cannot objectively evaluate their competence or incompetence.

        Many researchers have found that this might explain why someone who demonstrates a great deal of racist behavior might actually believe “I am the least racist person you’ll ever meet.” while disregarding their actual behavior and beliefs . It would certainly describe and explain some of the Vanguards commenters.

        1. Tia Will

          John

          I am well aware of Dunning Kreuger. I also am well aware that those of us who are standing with our black neighbors make no claim to an absence of prejudice. Many of us are well aware that our current social standing has been achieved in a social structure that advantaged us and can admit we are not bias free. I would encourage you to go back through the Vanguard archives and correlate such statements as ” I don’t see color” with the stated ideology of the poster. It might surprise you.

        2. John Hobbs

          I tried Tia but honestly I don’t have the patience to fight with the poorly designed site.

          I must say that almost nothing he avers could surprise, me although his rant today in “Too Soon…” was both frightening and illustrative.

    3. Jeff Boone

      Frankly, because I am, just look at the mix of people at the CHAZ/CHOP festival.  BLM and Antifa… you really cannot tell them apart.  They all hang out together.  Their signs are all mixed together.  I would not be surprised to start seeing Islamist extremist followers start to make themselves at home there too.  They all have the same in common… a desire to burn down the current power structure of the US and transform the country into a collectivist dystopia that is just like a bigger CHAZ/CHOP.

      What is interesting is that the Democrats are either explicitly or tacitly supporting it.  Obama did say he would transform the country when elected.  Seems that this is the army of the Democrats that they hope will get the job done.

    1. Alan Miller

      I wonder if I start self identifying as a gay black woman if they will give me money also

      I hope I didn’t come across too harsh

      If you actually are a gay black woman, you’ll be fine.

  6. Ron Glick

    “Thank you very much for the response but what is the black lives matters movement stance on these things not so much your opinion”

     

    AS my mama taught me back in the 50’s and 60’s “Two wrongs don’t make a right.”

    Arguing that somehow BLM is addressing the wrong problem is a diversion from the fact that BLM is addressing a problem that is wrong.

  7. Jeff Boone

    Hi there BLMers.  The Democrats in the Senate just killed a police reform bill put on the floor by Senator Tom Scott.  You must know that Mr. Scott is one of our few black Senators (not that it should matter).   The Democrats did so after they got their 20 amendments.  They did so because they know that milking the media story of cop-vs-black is more politically advantageous.  They again telegraph that they don’t really care about the plight of the black community except for that which can benefit their politics and put more power and money in their elite ruling class pockets.

    So here is your chance BLMers to show us that your cause is righteous and that you are not just a fund-raising arm of the Democrat party.  Go to Nancy and Chuck’s house and protest.

    If you defend this disgusting political move by the Democrats we will know what you are, and what you are not.

    1. David Greenwald

      Of course you provide no details on the difference in the proposals.

      The Republican bill would have required additional disclosures about the use of force, codifies reporting requirements on the use of “no knock warrants,” provides incentives for chokehold bans and makes lynching a federal crime.

      The Democratic proposal by Senator Booker and Kamala Harris banned chokeholds and no knock warrants in federal drug cases. Limited qualified immunity for police officers.

      Republicans wouldn’t consider qualified immunity.

      I would wait till next year personally rather than approve the Republican bill.

    2. Jeff Boone

      I would wait till next year personally rather than approve the Republican bill.

      Unbelievable.  Thanks David.  I now have complete confirmation that your racial social justice identity is fake news and that you are only in it for the politics and possibly the money.

      “Wait a year.”  So any that die in the meantime are just a necessary cost for you and your Democrat friends to feel better about themselves?   What if the Democrats lose in 2020 and Trump is reelected.  Are you really willing to gamble with black lives just so you get more?  I thought this was a crisis that require immediate action?

      What the hell is wrong with Democrats that they think they can reject any legislation because it is not perfect in their view while they criticize Republicans for not compromising?   This is a bill that Senator Scott put years of work into.  The Democrats were given 20 amendments by McConnell.

      Absolutely disgusting.

      The world can see now that Blacks in this country are just pawns in the Democrat’s political shell game.   No doubt the Floyd incident and BLM protests were calculated media events to drum up black anger in advance of the election.   I hope for their sake that the black community wakes up and rejects the Democrats as being toxic to their well-being.   Otherwise we would see BLM protesting at Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi’s houses for their rejection of this well done police reform bill.

    3. Bill Marshall

      Heck, Jeff, I’m a BLM’er… Bureau of Land Management (BLM) isn’t perfect, but their Manual of Instructions for the Surveying of Public Lands, is kinda’ a “bible” for those in surveying… had to learn enough of it to get my surveyor license…

      Funny how individuals/groups can co-opt words and/or acronyms, to suit their purposes… until a few years ago, BLM meant Bureau of Land Management… unambiguous…

      So I suggest when anyone uses the acronym BLM, distinguish what they mean, by spelling it out, fully, as I have been ‘forced’ to do…

  8. John Hobbs

    The toothless bill offered by Mitch McConnell and his pawn Tom Scott would have left the qualified immunity that protects dirty and murderous cops from prosecution. Hopefully after the election we will be able to get real reforms passed.

    1. Alan Miller

      Mitch McConnell and his pawn Tom Scott

      Did you just call a senator who is a conservative black man a “pawn” of a senator who is a white man?   Pawn:  a person used by others for their own purposes.  I’m sure Tom Scott would appreciate your ‘remarks’.

  9. John Hobbs

    “Did you just call a senator who is a conservative black man a “pawn” of a senator who is a white man?   Pawn:  a person used by others for their own purposes.  I’m sure Tom Scott would appreciate your ‘remarks’.”
    Reading comprehension issues, just as I always suspected. Yes, would you prefer I use a different term?
    I thought “pawn” was generous considering he was doing [edited] Mitch’s bidding. I’d love the opportunity to tell him face to face what I think of his fealty to the second greatest traitor in the Trump/Putin administration.

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