Valley protestors peacefully decry racism

By JOSE NEGRON
jnegron@yourmvi.com
The emotions Ronalee Matthews displayed during Wednesday afternoon’s peaceful protest in Rostraver Township said it all.

A West Newton resident and Caucasian mother of five, including three African-American teenagers, Matthews shed tears as she showed appreciation toward the group of people who assembled in the Walmart parking lot as a gesture of solidarity in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd.

Floyd, an African-American man, died last week in Minneapolis after Derek Chauvin, a white police officer, used his knee to pin Floyd against the ground.

“You have no idea how much this means to me and my family,” Matthews told a group of protesters.

Matthews was among about 20 peaceful protestors who gathered near the Walmart Wednesday in response to Floyd’s death. There was also a security presence as there were constables at each of the store entrances, as well as police officers patrolling the parking lot.

Matthews said she has watched as her children have experienced racism since they were infants.

When she brought her son, Caleb, home from the hospital at 3 days old, she found nails in all of her tires.

Matthews said her swimming pool has been slashed and her cat was killed. She said her son had a knife held up to his throat by an older individual. A bystander noticed and called the police. When they arrived, officers grabbed Matthews’ son and put him in handcuffs, she said.

“Thank God the lady was still there because she was like, ‘No, you have the wrong person,’ Matthews explained. “How easy would it have been just to ask, ‘Hey, are you the one causing the trouble?’

“We’ve had numerous things destroyed and just this week there were people unfriending me on Facebook. What do they want me to do, say they’re not my kids anymore? No, I would give up my life for my kids.”

Matthews admitted she couldn’t hold back her tears as she got out of her car and saw the number of people, including her fellow parishioners from the Christian Center Church in Rostraver, holding signs and showing support for the African-American community.

“To see that and just know that people care, it means a lot,” Matthews said. “When I watched that man die on the street, yes I saw Mr. Floyd, but I also saw my son under that guy’s knee, too. That’s how easy it can happen.”

Matthews wants people to understand that when individuals spread the message of “Black Lives Matter,” it’s in an effort to show that the lives of African-Americans matter just as much as anyone else.

“When somebody says black lives matter, they’re not saying you don’t,” Matthews said. “They’re just saying, ‘Could you possibly find it in your heart to see us as equals?’”

Rostraver wasn’t the only Mon Valley community to hold a protest Wednesday. For the fourth time since Friday, organizers Devona Carter of Monessen and Dana Malone of Philadelphia led a group of about 20 demonstrators during a peaceful protest along Eastgate Avenue in Monessen.

The protest occurred just as prosecutors elevated Chauvin’s charges to second-degree murder. His three former fellow Minneapolis police officers were also charged in the death of Floyd.

Cars blared their horns as they drove past in support of the protesters, who made their voices heard through chants of “I can’t breathe,” and “Second degree is not enough.”

“This is beautiful,” Carter said. “This shows that America as a whole, not just people of color, has had enough. We have all had enough. We have all ethnic backgrounds out here and enough is enough. The police brutality, the bullying and injustice of people of color has to end.”

Carter, who said she plans on potentially holding additional protests Friday and Sunday, noted the impact of protests all around the world, not just in Monessen or across the nation. Demonstrators have also gathered in cities such as London, Auckland and Berlin.

“This is international and that right there speaks volumes,” Carter said. “That says the world is looking at what is going on and are seeing it as ridiculous. There is still this racism, there is still this injustice and there is still no accountability of the police.”

Monessen residents such as Denise Bristol and Marcia Tansmore spent hours protesting alongside Carter and others. Bristol has been to all four protests, while Tansmore was present for her second.

“It’s definitely important to spread a message,” Tansmore said. “We came out and showed up, and I think that made a difference. We’re all very tired of being scared and we definitely need change.”

Tansmore takes care of three children at home, including her son and two nephews. She fears for them every day. That’s why she stood on the side of the road with a sign that read, “No Justice, No Peace. Stop killing our men!!!”

“I’m scared myself as a black woman,” Tansmore said. “I’m 10 times more scared for them.
“We hope we get a prosecution and a guilty verdict (for Chauvin), and that hopefully all this just stops. We know it takes time, but as long as we stay united and come out here and continue fighting, we will make a difference.”