Protests & Progress

By Jonathan Walthour
Jonathan Walthour is a 2018 graduate of  George Mason University and 2014 graduate of Heritage High School. He is a business systems analyst who enjoys spending time with friends, trading on foreign exchange markets, and has been getting more involved in the Black Lives Matter movement. 

Jonathan Walthour (far right) with friends at a peaceful protest in Washington DC on June 2, 2020.

Jonathan wrote this short essay and shared the videos (scroll down) to help others get a more personal, less media-centered view of the BLM protests in Washington DC. 
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The date was June 2, 2020, and the time was around 5:00pm. A few friends and I got out of the car on Vermont Avenue and walked toward Pennsylvania Avenue, The White House. We eagerly moved toward the energized protesters. I noticed a family of five (father, mother, and four young children) with cleaning supplies trying to scrub profane anti-Trump graffiti off a nearby wall. No one said anything as we walked by, but I thought to myself: “Why bring little children to this type of atmosphere where there’s going to be a riot?”

As we continued to walk, the roaring chants grow louder, and the electric atmosphere rose as well. I did not know whether to feel scared or excited; little did I know what I was about to see. As we finally turned the corner on Pennsylvania Avenue and merged into the crowd, I could not believe my eyes – Thousands upon thousands of peaceful protesters chanting the names of those brutally slain by police. There were people handing out snacks, water, sanitizer, posters, gloves, masks, eye drops – you name it; it was most likely there. The most shocking revelation was the number of demonstrators who were NOT African American marching alongside us. As a black man, it gave me hope to see people were advocating for a problem that was not necessarily “theirs” but who realized the OVERALL problem and made it theirs.

By no means will anything change overnight. But day by day, more and more people become educated and aware, whether they agree to advocate for BLM (Black Lives Matter) or not. A change is going to come… in due time. We, as Americans, have the right to speak up, and we must make our voices heard. We MUST stop the brutality of law enforcement. Not all protests are riots, and not all cops are bad. But there is one common enemy: racists. We need political change and change to policing policies; cops must be held accountable when they commit a crime.
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The date is now June 12, and Breonna Taylor’s murderers are STILL free and getting paid…Yeah, something is not right. If you do not know the story, today’s a great day to do some reading. And if you really wish to make a difference, keep in mind it is your civic duty to vote and let your voice be heard. Reposting on social media can raise awareness and funds, but voting and expressing your own morals have even more impact.