VIRGINIA BEACH — Hundreds marched 40 blocks from the Rudee Loop lot to 40th Street and 16 blocks back to 24th Street Saturday afternoon in an attempt to make waves supporting a full, independent disparity study to be conducted in Virginia Beach.
“Women, minorities, small businesses and working class families have been disenfranchised and left without a voice,” local businessman and NFL hall of famer Bruce Smith said to a crowd waving signs.
“We all have been affected by this in one form or another. So whether it’s been implicit bias, or it’s been cronyism, or it’s been the status quo or it’s been the unleveled playing field, we all can come together and connect because things need to change.”
Smith called for a disparity study to be conducted in November, near the same plot of land where droves of families, church groups, city council members and more gathered to begin the protest. Organizations like Black Live Matter, the Hip Hop Caucus, Hampton Roads’ black press, the New Journal and Guide, and others came came to show their support, too.
A disparity study would take a look at how women and minority-owned businesses are given work opportunities in the city.
The march began at around 11:15 a.m.
Among the protesters marching on the closed Atlantic Boulevard asphalt was 15-year-old Josiah Burnett, who sported a Black Lives Matter flag around his neck to look like a cape.
“I don’t think it’s fair,” Burnett said about the disparity study being conducted in phases, rather than a full, one-time process. “We’re all people, we live, we breathe, we do human stuff and we all bleed red … just do it all and that’s the end of it.”
For marcher Joyce Lathan, walking for the disparity is something personal.
“I’ve lived in Virginia Beach for a long, long time and I’ve always seen other people with hotels, restaurants and everything else they want … I even know a family that had their property taken, my family members,” Lathan said. “It’s time to stop the cronyism and be fair to everyone.”
Vietnam veteran Pete Larkin marched the street holding a large American flag to support what he said is cronyism in the city.
“I think it’s wrong, and I think they’re trying to drag their feet,” Larkin said about proposed disparity study phases. “I don’t think too many good, reputable people are gonna want to do that study in phases … frankly it’s ridiculous.”
A buzz word that floated in verbal unison was “cronyism,” for which Virginia Beach Human Rights Commission chairman William Rice had his own definition. It was even incorporated in an advertised hashtag for the event.
“It’s the ‘old boy’ thing, you know?” Rice said.
“It simply means that if you’re sitting at that table, you’re part of the team,” he added. “If you’re not at the table, you’re not going to be part of that team, and it happens with too many organizations that have people that they know well become those leaders. That’s what we don’t need.”
On the other side of the protest was vacationer Scot Andrews from Pennsylvania, standing in front of a gift shop to watch the march. He said the march was disgusting.
“We’re working against each other, not with each other. That’s unity,” Andrews said. “It ain’t about black, white, Mexican, Puerto Rican, you know? It’s about who we are as Americans and this ain’t America … this is sickening.”
The march ended at 24th Street Park around 1:30 p.m., where key players in minority organizations spoke to the crowd, including the first black woman to serve on city council, Louisa Strayhorn.
“If city council does not vote on this, it will not happen,” Strayhorn said. “You cannot let this up. This is only the beginning, you must go and tell them, call them, write them and do whatever you need to do, but they need to vote for a full disparity study, and my God we need it desperately.”
City council members said at their meeting last Tuesday that they would support a full disparity study to be conducted in phases. Smith said this language in the proposal request process for consultants to conduct it could give the government the power to stop it at any point.
At that same meeting, city council gave City Manager Dave Hansen direction to start with the proposal process.
“Bruce did not have to do this,” event organizer Gary McCollum said before the march wrapped up.
“There are many NFL pro football players who go off into the sunset … Bruce Smith is doing this because there are people in Virginia Beach, and throughout this state, who are hurting because of inequality.”
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