To the residents of Clinton and Sampson County,

Love, Peace, and Unity! These were the three main key points from Sunday’s (May 31) peaceful protest. If you were there and participated in the protest, you could feel each one of these three words resonating in your heart once the protest was over. It was a beautiful feeling. Different races joined together as one to fight one common thing and provide support to a family who has suffered a great loss.

Hyson and I want to thank each and everyone who came out to help us take a stand against police brutality and for the justice of George Floyd. This non-violent protest was planned and executed all within 36 hours! The start-up process was hard leading all the way up until the actual start time of the protest, but with the help of several local officials, Clinton Police Department and clergy in the community, we were still able to let our voices be heard and make history in our city!

George Floyd is originally from this part of North Carolina and many of his family members still reside in Sampson, Cumberland, Hoke and surrounding counties in our area. Even though the incident happened a little over a thousand of miles from here, his murder has managed to hit close to home and for many was more than just another Black person murdered.

Sampson County is a close, tight-knit town where everybody knows almost everybody. To learn on the news and connect that George was Bridgett Floyd’s brother really hit some of us hard. Bridgett graduated from Clinton High and is still close to many family and friends in this area. Many of us know her well and grew up with her. Everyone in Clinton knows that regardless of what year you graduated all of us are apart of the Dark Horses family. Once a Dark Horse, always a Dark Horse. With this connection and the need to draw greater awareness in our hometown, Hyson and I decided to take action!

While many cities connected their protests mainly to police brutality, members of the Floyd family have repeatedly asked the public to remain peaceful during these demonstrations. We wanted to hold this non-violent demonstration to assure the Floyd family that their community is behind them. During this time, we want to let them know that we will still continue to take stands with/for them, their loved one whose life was taken, as well as others who have lost their lives over the same type of underlying issues. The only way we can end violence or even attempt to end racism is if we put our hearts and minds together like we did on Sunday and stand 10 toes down against it, PEACEFULLY!

The Floyd family has expressed their pleasure with our protest, unique among the many other cities that are currently dealing with instances of rioting and looting following their protests. It is never in our collective interest to take away from our own well-being. We will learn to bring a change without using fire with fire. There is another way and Hyson and I plan to work very hard until we can bring change! If not on a big scale, at least we will in Sampson County.

There are more things coming. We hope those that joined our protest and those who supported virtually and physically distant continue to work collectively with us as we change the world! We have changed within ourselves to be able to execute these actions and develop change. You can’t change the world unless you change yourselves.

A lot of people do not believe the lessons of the 1960s non-violent civil rights movement are still relevant today. Even with hundreds of residents across our city coming together, some believe protest will not make a difference. We want to let everyone know we have to be open to the change we want to see.

Continue to pray for the Floyd family, as well as the McAtee family who lost their son, David McAtee, as he was murdered by police officers after they mistook him for a shooter during a protest in Louisville, Kentucky. Tearing up and destroying our own home is not the answer! More people end up hurt if we do it this way. We have to come together to find more ways to handle this ongoing battle against racism. It’s going to take a village and it’s not going to be overnight. It’s one thing to talk about the work, but it must lead to results! Join us in our stand!

Thank you all again for everything! Incorporate Love, Peace, and Unity in your everyday activities. We could be a better place! All lives can’t matter until Black Lives Matter!

Sincerely,

Diondris Butler and Hyson Howard

Coordinators of the Sampson County Non-Violent Protest for George Floyd