Black History Month Youth March Unites Community in Action

The annual march in New Haven is one of a series of events connected to the 47^th People's World African American History Month Celebration. The event Georgia On My Mind: The Third Reconstruction will be held virtually on Sunday, February 28 at 4 pm. Arrive early to see a video of the Youth March starting at 3:40 pm. Register here.

A caravan of 20 cars and a group of 65 people took to the streets of Dixwell and Newhallville to call for an end to gun violence and police brutality, taxing of the reaching, and demand state and federal relief for communities of color impacted by Covid-19. Marchers gathered at Tyrick B. Keyes corner at the intersection of Bassett and Newhall and continued down Dixwell Avenue until reaching the construction site of Q House, a future community center site

The Annual Black History Month Youth March was organized by the CT People's World alongside Ice the Beef and New Haven Rising as part of CT People's World 47th African American History Month Celebration. The event kicked off with a speech by Manuel Camacho, the president of the Young Communist League (YCL) and Youth President of Ice The Beef. He invoked Martin Luther King’s call to action against systemic racism and oppression. He spoke about the need for community members to come together and move forward as one.

“If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl,”he said quoting King. “ But whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”

Following Camacho, Bobby McKnight, spoke on behalf of Keyes’ family about the aftermath of Tyrick’s death as a victim of gun violence. Keyes, an aspiring 14 year-old dancer, was killed in 2017 on Bassett street. Keyes’ had also been an active member of Ice the Beef Youth. After Keyes’ death, McKnight dedicated himself to working with youth across the community.

“Tyrick inspired me to do all that and to try to make a difference.”

Newhallville Ward 20 Alder Delphine Clyburn rallied the crowd with an impassioned speech about the continual loss of children to gun violence. For her, the march was about protecting the most vulnerable of youth.

“I'm here because they are killing my kids. I could be home cooking for my husband but I'm here,” she said. “It is time to stop killing my kids.”

Yeni, a representative CT Students for a Dream (C4D) and Hunky for Husky for Immigrants, spoke about the need to expand healthcare access to all immigrants regardless of status and open eligibility to the HUSKY health program especially in response to the toll Covid-19 has taken on undocumented communities. Oppressive systems like the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and school-to-prison pipeline are some of the systems that have been setup to divide marginalized communities and must be worked against together.

Remidy from ICE The Beef gave an embolden speech about the need to take the work of organizing to the next level and no longer have corners named after victims of gun violence. For him the community needs to take care of one another, especially the homeless community who has been excluded for so long.

“His [Keyes’] name should not be on the street ‘cause he was slain,” he said. “His name should be on the street because he was alive and led an excellent life.”

To close out the first part of the march, the Connecticut YCL awarded Sen. Gary Winfield and Rep. Robyn Porter the Black History Month Victory Award to honor them as the driving force behind the police accountability bill, HB 6004 An Act Concerning Police Accountability (AACPA). Porter tearfully accepted the award citing the community as the wind beneath her wings.

She spoke about the need to elect officials with “backbones” and stand by their values especially against systemic racism and other forms of oppression.

“There is no compromise when it comes to life or death,” she said. “There is no compromise, about having a conscience.”

Winfield echoed many of Porter’s sentiments by asking that the youth present rise to the occasion and take over the senate by filling up those seats. He also called out for diverse legislation that better represents the diverse people across the state.

“If your policy isn't as intersectional of the people who represent then it is not working.”

The caravan and marchers took to the streets marching down Bassett Street and Dixwell Avenue chanting about injustice and inequality. At the front of the group, Sun Queen, a co-founder of Black Lives Matter New Haven (BLM NHV) led chants about protecting one. She later spoke about the importance of belonging to a village and holding one another accountable.

“No Justice!” she cried.

“No peace!” The crowd roared back.

In front of the Q House, youth took to the microphone with Camacho asking that people take action in the present and no longer wait to act.

“The time is always always right to do what is right,” he said, citing King again.

Genesis, a member of the Hartford YCL, drew attention to the isolation and depression students across the state are experiencing. He also touched on the fear faced members of the LGBTQIA + community, and his own experience as a part of the community.

“I’m a seventh-grader. I should be worried about leaving my house or how someone is going to treat me because of the color of my skin or my gender and sexuality.”

Elsa Holahan, the youth director of the Q House Student Advisory Board, spoke about the history of the Q House and the importance of a community center in the Newhallville-Dixwell area.

After the original Q House closed down in 2003, the area has been without a gathering space for almost 20 years. For her, the community center is a place for all members of the community to gather, share space with one another, and grow as a community.

“Although our work within the community is not complete, the reconstitution of the Q House is a step towards equity and injustice in New Haven.”

Artist and performer, Thabisa closed out the march with a powerful rendition of Sam Cooke’s A Change is Gonna Come.

-- Arturo Pineda