A gathering to focus on unity in light of George Floyd’s death and other turbulent events across the country will be held Sunday afternoon at Justus Park in Oil City.
“This is a faith based effort, it is not a political vigil,” said Kay Brewster, a retired social workers who is organizing the event, which starts at 2 p.m., with her husband, Jim, and friend, Julia Allman.
“It is a gathering to focus on unity as a community of believers,” Allman said. “This is about not letting hate and brokenness get in between us. We want this to be a visual of where do we go from here.”
There will be a period of silence at Sunday’s gathering of eight minutes and 46 seconds, the length of time a Minnesota police officer had his knee on Floyd’s neck when Floyd died on Memorial Day.
The gathering, called Together We Can, will begin and end with prayer.
“This is a basic, grassroots effort that started Monday or Tuesday,” Brewster said. “It took on a life of its own. I’m amazed in a good way,” she added.
“After the death of George Floyd, I can’t even describe it, I felt like I had to do something,” said Brewster.
After Brewster talked with Allman, the two women began planning the event.
Allman, who is a Christian life coach and aromatherapist, said the plans were born out of the question, “What can we do to stand together as a community, as citizens and as Americans?”
Ragon said he disagrees with what happened to Floyd and said things “could have been handled differently.”
“I heard he (George Floyd) had a criminal history but nobody deserves what he got,” Ragon said. “Then some people mingled in with the rallies and protests and made things much worse than they needed to be.”
“The officers have been prosecuted quickly, the justice system is working this time,” Ragon said.
“We want to start a conversation, get together and unify. Together we can stand and do something,” Allman said.
