LYNN — Local advocacy group Diverse People United (DPU) will host a rally Saturday on the Lynn Commons to speak out against systemic racism and the recent rise in hate crimes toward Asian and Asian American communities.
The event will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. at the park’s Frederick Douglass Bandstand.
DPU, a nonprofit organization committed to community building and transformative healing in the city of Lynn, is hosting the rally to show support for the Asian American communities on the North Shore.
“We are rallying to resist the erasure of the Asian struggle, contribution and existence,” said local activist KimYen Tran.
DPU said the rally is aimed at helping to center the voices of Asian and Asian American community members, particularly southeast Asian women and LGBTQ+ voices, while creating a space to listen to their stories, hear their concerns and aspirations, and become allies in the shared struggle for representation, healing and empowerment.
The organization said it plans to build on last summer’s rallies that brought “attention to the issues of police brutality and civil rights violations and to demand change through the Occupy Wyoma Square protest. The rise in anti-Asian and Asian American hate crimes and the silence of local media and local authorities are unacceptable and are not representative of the people of Lynn.”
The organization said it advocates on behalf of marginalized groups and individuals and inspires discourse about hard subjects among people of all backgrounds.
“By modeling civic engagement to the youth, we prepare the next generation of leaders and change-makers,” DPU said.
The group said the Rally for Solidarity on Saturday will bring collective hearts, minds, and ears together for positive and constructive change, and its members welcome everyone to join them.
Allysha Dunnigan can be reached at [email protected]
