Marchers rally in Mineola
The protests that have spread throughout the nation in response to the killing at police hands of George Floyd in Minneapolis reached Wood County last week and will continue this week.
Hunter Barr, who taught the past two years in Mineola, picked up the mantel after some of his former students canceled a rally after they received threats.
Barr and others marched from the gazebo in downtown Mineola to Walmart midday Thursday.
They plan a second rally this Thursday at 5 p.m., also starting at the gazebo.
On Saturday morning at the Wood County courthouse in Quitman, a countywide day of prayer is planned starting at 9 a.m.
It will be led by Pastor Demethrius Boyd of the St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church in Mineola.
Boyd said the aim of the prayer vigil is for the community to “work together in the spirit of unity.”
The Ministerial Alliance and law enforcement officials plan to take part.
As County Judge Lucy Hebron noted, the community and nation missed out of the opportunity to celebrate the national day of prayer in May due to coronavirus restrictions.
“This occasion will allow us to make up for that and join in prayer as a community,” she said.
Barr said the turnout was brought together in a couple hours after he learned the students had decided to cancel. Several of them participated.
He said the rally is “to try to get, at least in our community, black lives to matter and to quit oppressing black lives.”
He said the march honored Christopher Griffin, who was killed in a 2013 shooting in Mineola and received no justice.
Barr said he hopes to see a bigger showing this week.
