Black Lives Matter rally to take place at Squaw Valley Park on Thursday
A community rally to support the Black Lives Matter message will begin at 7 p.m. Thursday at Squaw Valley Park in O’Hara.
Leaders said this is planned as a peaceful, family-friendly event with songs and speakers that will focus on social justice.
Fox Chapel Area graduate and immediate past president of the district’s Black Student Union, William Generett III, will be a keynote speaker.
His alma mater “needs to do a better job of educating students on how to be advocates for people of color, not only in our community but for communities across the country,” Generett said.
Hosted by members of the Facebook group “Fox Chapel Area Residents for Social Justice,” the event is chaired by Becca Tobe and Anne Houston.
The group has accrued nearly 400 members since being created last week. According to the page, the group is an inclusive place to discuss interests in anti-racism and other social justice frameworks.
“Let’s learn from each other, encourage each other and help each other navigate this imperfect world while trying to make it better,” the page says.
The rally is part of a pivotal movement nationwide to end racial injustice and will be co-MC’ed by Sharpsburg Mayor Matt Rudzki and Fox Chapel area resident Kayla Portis.
“The rally represents solidarity of the Fox Chapel Area communities with the Black Lives Matter movement,” Rudzki said. “It addresses systemic racism through organizing, listening and learning, and demanding action.”
It comes on the heels of Fox Chapel Area School District investigating videos with racial slurs circulating on a student’s Instagram account.
School officials did not respond to a request for comments on the incident.
Generett, along with fellow student Warner Macklin, created the high school’s Black Student Union to give students a chance to learn about African American culture as well a space to share feelings and concerns.
Squaw Valley Park is along Fox Chapel Road, across from the O’Hara municipal building.
The rally will take place near the park’s gazebo. Masks are required by participants.
Tawnya Panizzi is a TribLive reporter. She joined the Trib in 1997. She can be reached at tpanizzi@triblive.com.
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