Change is needed. That message came out of a meeting last night at Knox College, where around 35 community members gave their thoughts on recent police involved shootings of black men as well as the five officers killed in Dallas.
Sixteen people spent the better part of two hours sharing emotions that ranged from anger with police to confusion on how to cope with recent events.
Galesburg resident Janell McGruder says she feels the effects of racism and thinks there needs to be better dialogue with police.
“My brother is a cop, my best friend is a cop, I have a ton of family members who are police officers and police officers of color,” McGruder says. “But, as soon as they take their uniform off — and these are individuals that are taught in deescalation — they are now part of that group that gets pulled over for walking across the street.”
The emotional meeting, attended by President Teresa Amott, brainstormed ways to improve communication, specifically in Galesburg.
Options discussed included holding forums with local police to create a dialogue.
Galesburg has been advocating for justice and peace throughout the past few days in many different ways. Around 150 protesters marched on Henderson Street, Saturday afternoon.
The demonstration was organized by the Black Lives Matter movement.
