On May 25, 2020, George Floyd was murdered by Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His death spurred protests across the nation, including in Wooster (Ickes, 2020). Day after day, supporters of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement gathered in downtown Wooster to protest police brutality and systematic racism. The dedication of these individuals to their cause is incredible; even almost 365 days after the murder of George Floyd, people were still determined to hold and attend downtown protests (Buyakie, 2021). Each protestor had a different reason to attend these protests, but they were all centered around one central idea: that all people are created equal and deserve to be treated as such (Ickes, 2020). Support for these protestors was not universal; those who chose to attend downtown protests were occasionally met with aggressive gestures and nasty comments from other Wooster citizens (Buyakie, 2021). Some efforts went beyond just signs; BLM-related graffiti began appearing in June 2020 on various buildings in Wooster (Morgan, 2020).
For further reading:
Buyakie, Bryce. “’Change Is Slow.’ Daily BLM Protests in Wooster Continue One Year since George Floyd’s Death.” The Daily Record. The Daily Record, May 25, 2021. https://www.the-daily-record.com/story/news/2021/05/25/wooster-daily-black-lives-matter-protests-mark-nearly-365-days/5220276001/.
Ickes, Samantha. “Black Lives Matter Protests in Downtown Wooster Mark 150th Consecutive Day.” The Daily Record. The Daily Record, October 30, 2020. https://www.the-daily-record.com/story/news/2020/10/28/wooster-150-consecutive-day-protest-black-lives-matter-racial-injustice/6056599002/.
Morgan, Emily. “’Black Lives Matter’ Tagged on Downtown Wooster Structures.” Akron Beacon Journal. Akron Beacon Journal, June 2, 2020. https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/news/2020/06/02/lsquoblack-lives-matterrsquo-tagged-on-downtown-wooster-structures/113365498/.