'Rally Against the Injustice' brings hundreds together in Henderson for peaceful protest

HENDERSON, Ky. — Nine-year-old Kayden Mitchell has a message.

"I'm feeling that people don't understand why we're on this earth. And this is why we are protesting," he told The Gleaner.

The Bend Gate Elementary student then shared what he'd written on his sign: "God puts us here to be good to each other, and not hate each other."

His 11-year-old sister Maleah Mitchell, a student at South Middle School, said the rally was important to raise awareness for an issue that's been going on too long. "We are protesting peacefully to stop racism ... I think (the protest) is pretty cool."

"George Floyd was unarmed," she said. "He didn't do anything. He was killed for no reason."

Kayden and Maleah are the nephew and niece of Henderson resident Elizabeth Ahmadi, an organizer of the event, and just a few among many of the younger generation who attended the Rally Against the Injustice held midday Saturday in Central Park.

Prior to the rally, Ahmadi said she believed the event would stay peaceful and on point.

"There's always a concern (that it will get violent) because it's been happening at other places. But I have a lot of faith that it's going to be peaceful," she said.

There was a significant police presence in and around the park Saturday during the assembly of roughly 200 people.

Henderson Police Chief Heath Cox said, "Multiple officers from HPD, the Henderson County Sheriff's Office and the Kentucky State Police are here to ensure the rights of those assembling and to make sure no one infringes on their right to assemble."

There was no violence at the Henderson rally Saturday. Instead, people like 17-year-old Paige Ford and former Henderson resident Michael Williams, and 16-year-old Aaliyah Utley were able to be part of a call for change.

"I know it's something we still have an issue with in our society," she said. "In Henderson, we have a pretty good police department. Overall, I wish for more laws in place to make sure we aren't systematically oppressing people of color."

Utley said, "It's hard seeing black people get killed just because of their skin color or where they grew up. And we need to stand up for when anyone gets killed period -- police officers, black people, white people, no one should die."

Williams, who now lives in Portland, Tennessee, traveled back to Henderson to participate.

"The rallies are a good thing," he said. "The reason for the rallies is to say that black lives matter. That's not to say that all lives don't matter. It's just that the black community is under attack not just by the police, but socially, economically and politically.

'"Unfortunately, it was the death of George Floyd that brought everything to the spotlight. It was caught live, instead of just hearing stories about it. Sixty percent of the population is white, and we need their help," Williams said. "We need them to stand with us to say this isn't right."

Henderson resident Amanda Williams said, "I'm out here because black lives matter, and it's time for us white people to stand with them and to make sure they get the justice they deserve in the justice system.

"It's high time. If you look back, this is just a replication of what we've been through for years, and years, and years. And it hurts my heart."

During the rally, Muhlenberg County resident, Brittney Stevenson, a friend of Ahmadi's said, "My daughter is 10 years old. When she was about 7 or 8, she came home and told me that one of her classmates told her that her skin wasn't pretty because it wasn't white ... a lot of people who don't believe racism exists, we're here to say that it does. We can't be silent.

"We have to understand that not all cops are bad cops, but we need the good cops to stand and support us," she said. "It's important for you all to be out here, and be a voice for the voiceless. It's important for you to support people of color and for people of color to support each other, because sometimes we feel like we are all we've got."

"It's important for us to have rallies like this," she said, "to fight what's been going on for centuries."