Racine groups come together, 'protest for justice' on Juneteenth

RACINE -- The movement for equality picked up steam in Racine on Friday night at a Juneteenth rally for justice as different demographics joined for a common cause.

Coming together as one, organizers from two different groups rallied separately before converging to march from 14th and Wisconsin to the Dr. John Bryant Community Center in Racine -- hoping to bring peace to generations to come.

Protests in Racine

Protests in Racine

"Exercising our voices, right to protest for justice for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless other Black Americans in the united states," Corey Prince, one of the organizers, said.

On a day marking the end of slavery in the U.S., the celebration was bittersweet as, activists said, Black Americans are still not free.

Corey Prince

"We get to June 19, 2020 and we're still having the same wage gap we did when Martin Luther King got killed, in 1968," said Prince. "We can't snap our fingers and make things happen, but there are systems in place that have been built that can snap their fingers and make things happen.

"Inside those systems, they can very easily break down the walls that have been built for 401 years to keep Black Americans oppressed."

Protests in Racine

Demonstrators asked for everyone who is an ally to come out -- regardless of age, race or religion. The only requirement, organizers said, is that everyone who came wore a mask to ensure everyone's safety.

Racine police blocked off roads to keep drivers and demonstrators safe.

The Juneteenth rally wound down by sundown, but demonstrators said calls for change will continue.