A local movement identifying under the hashtag #NotInOurTwoTowns will be holding an event on Tuesday night, July 12 at South Orange Middle School in South Orange, NJ, joined by town leaders and local clergy.
The event was previously scheduled to take place at Columbia High School.
The #NotInOurTwoTowns movement was started by graduates of Columbia High School Sydney Scruggs (Class of 2013), Emanual Grant (’13), Felisha George (’12), Cory Hardy (’13) and Alfonso Spottswood (’13).
The group organized a protest march on Thursday, July 7, following the shooting deaths by police of Alton Sterling in Louisiana and Philando Castile in Minnesota.
The peaceful march garnered enormously positive local response.
The march was followed by a candlelight vigil on Friday in Maplewood’s Maplecrest Park.
Here is the latest information on the July 12 event, from a notice sent by the Community Coalition on Race:
Join leaders and CHS Alumni Cory Hardy, Felisha George, Emanuel Grant, Sydney Scruggs and Alfonso Spottswood as they introduce their goals, get more in touch with the youth and bring both towns together in love and solidarity.
DOORS OPEN AT 6:00 PM.
We will be starting PROMPTLY at 6:30 pm!
IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR ATTENDEES: At 7:00 pm we will be splitting up the young adults up by male and female to host an Open Mic in the cafeteria. Emanuel, Sydney, Cory and Alfonso will lead and mentor the young men, while Felisha will lead and mentor the young women. In that time the parents will remain in the Auditorium and have the opportunity to voice their concerns and opinions on recent tragedies.”