LYNN — The nonprofit Diverse People United will hold a candlelight vigil at Red Rock Park on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. to mark the anniversary of the murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, at the hands of former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin.
The vigil will consist of local community members sharing their stories and experiences, followed by a moment of silence. Diverse People United (DPU) said the vigil will offer a space for people to gather as a community to reflect, heal and honor the lives lost to police brutality.
“People have lost their lives because of police brutality and violence before and after May 25, 2020, but what was special about his [George Floyd’s] case was that we were united in our grief and outrage and able to see that it was the result of systemic racism and deconstruct the narrative that this was the result of a few bad apples,” a spokesperson for DPU said, “Because at the end of the day, if we have a system that allows bad apples in positions of authority, and positions to oppress members of the community, then the system is broken.”
DPU said it is committed to creating spaces and opportunities for transformative healing and community building within the city of Lynn and other North Shore communities.
DPU says it wishes to invite community members to share thoughts, stories, poems or other reflections related to the past year, and to “begin to heal from the collective trauma of a broken justice system.”
A spokesperson for DPU said it is important to take the time and space to reflect on all that has changed in the year since Floyd’s murder, but also to understand that there is still a long way to go.
“We have to be vigilant and continue this work, to heal our communities and forge a united, just way forward,” a DPU spokesperson said.
DPU welcomes all to join the candlelight vigil to bring “collective hearts, minds, and ears together for positive, constructive change.”
