MARYVILLE, Tenn. — Nearly 900 people stood today on both sides of Alexander Parkway in Maryville silently and peacefully.
“This is Maryville, Tennessee in Blount County. We are having a silent vigil, our focus is that racism will not change until white people change it, and each of us has a responsibility to identify where we have credibility and where we have leverage and do what we can to eliminate racism.
It’s too easy for people who aren’t affected by racism to not pay attention and not notice. It’s important for people to treat each other with dignity and respect but racism will not end until we have policies that end it.
The message being silent is a way to respect the lives that have been lost the tragic and two promising lives the lives of unarmed black men and women. We want people in the community to understand that in our community there are people who are opposed to racism.
We are bearing witness by being out here on Sunday evening we’re bearing witness by being silent and we’re bearing witness by committing ourselves to work to end racism."