Merced shows solidarity with Charleston in prayer vigil

The killings of nine people at a historic black church in Charleston, S.C., last week was another reminder that racism and segregation are far from over, local community organizers said this week during a prayer vigil in Merced.

More than 50 people gathered about 6 p.m. Wednesday at Olive Avenue and R Street – a location and time strategically chosen for its heavy traffic – to show solidarity with the victims’ families.

The shooting, organizers said, could easily have happened in Merced.

Claudia Gonzalez of the Merced Organizing Project’s Live Free campaign said there are several parallels between Merced and Charleston..

Gonzalez said the goal was to get passers-by talking about a problem that is real and local.

“We hope people can catch a glimpse of our demonstration and that they start paying more attention to this issue,” Gonzalez said.

Attendees, most dressed in white, offered a moment of silence, and choir members of Mount Pisgah African Methodist Episcopal Church in Merced paid tribute to the victims with song.

Demonstrators also walked the crosswalks locked in arms as a symbol of unity, and the names of all nine victims were read out loud.

The Rev. Phil Jenkins said the news of the shooting can be easily overlooked, especially when it did not occur in a person’s own backyard. But violence is everywhere, he said, and people cannot discredit what is happening in their own city.

“Racism is ugly, no matter where it comes from,” he told demonstrators. “If you dislike someone only because of the color of their skin, there is something wrong with that.”

However, people are allowed to feel frustration, said Merced resident Barbara Roland. “I’m angry because that should not have happened,” she said. “We can get angry; it’s an emotion, we just can’t live on it.”

Jenkins told demonstrators that he understands many people are hurting, but he hopes that such displays remind people to stay powerful and hopeful.

This story was originally published June 25, 2015 at 6:46 PM with the headline "Merced shows solidarity with Charleston in prayer vigil."