Man Treks 1,000 Miles From Alabama To Minnesota For ‘Change, Justice And Equality’

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13 Июл 2020, 16:19

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Terry Willis finished his «march for change, justice and equality» on Sunday, at the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue, where George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police on May 25.

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Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

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Willis said he was overwhelmed by the recent deaths of Floyd, Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, which moved him to begin his «silent protest» against the injustices faced by Black people in America.

«It made me feel a plethora of mixed emotions: angry, frustrated, confused, sad,» he said. «This could’ve been me, my family or friends. I knew I had to do something.»

Willis is also raising money to start a nonprofit, according to a GoFundMe page that’s raised more than $37,000 of it’s $50,000 goal. In a Facebook post on the page for the march, Willis wrote that the organization will teach people with criminal records and juvenile delinquents a trade, like barbering or carpentry, in order to help them open their own businesses.

Willis was accompanied by a pace car, and told a local TV station that he would take his time and take rest and water breaks as needed.

He arrived in Minneapolis on Sunday, joined by crowds of supporters and wearing a T-shirt with «March for Change, Justice and Equality» emblazoned on the back. He concluded his journey at the exact location Floyd was killed by police on May 25.

In an emotional speech to a cheering crowd, Willis thanked onlookers for their support and spoke about how the march had impacted him, while keeping focus on the reason he decided to do it in the first place.

«I just walked, that’s all I did,» he said. «I’m no celebrity, I’m no superhero, I’m just a regular man who’s seen a man get murdered, and I had to do something.»