An Accidental Activist

How you respond when faced with injustice will define you. The brave ones aren't those who aren't afraid, but those who are not held back by it. Please welcome a Special Guest and friend of My Mess, as she recounts her battles on the front lines of a movement.

My name is Candice and I’m an accidental activist. Over the course of just a few weeks, like many Americans, I was reminded that Black people are still being maimed and murdered at the hands of the police. As a Black American, it is incredibly traumatic to see a new hashtag every few weeks demanding justice for someone who looks like me or my sister or my nephew or cousin. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, record unemployment rates, and general raised anxieties – people all over the world started protesting and I knew immediately that it was not the time to sit idly by. Something was happening and the world was changing at that very moment.

On May 31st, I attended a Black Lives Matter rally in Joliet. I was unsure about heading out, as tensions were especially high that weekend and…we are still in the middle of a pandemic. I threw caution to the wind anyway, made a sign and spent the next few hours on the busiest intersection in town. It felt good. It was empowering. I was using my voice and making a difference.

However, that very same night the mayor of Joliet (Bob O’Dekirk) assaulted a young Black man and a melee ensued in which both the young man and his brother were injured at the hands of the Joliet Police Department. Yet the young men were the ones to be charged with a crime that night. This was the very thing that we had been speaking out against.

After catching wind of what had happened, protesting took on a deeper and more personal meaning. I was a person who didn’t have very strong feelings about the police either way (other than that they shouldn’t be killing/maiming people) and having lived in this diverse city my whole life – I thought, “That isn’t happening here. Not in my city.” Until it was.

My heart was truly hurt. I decided then that I would continue protesting – even if I had to do it alone – until some change had been effected in our city. Our call to action was and is simple – our mayor must resign and sweeping police reform must take place in Joliet. That is a start for what racial equality looks like in our city. Protesting, however, has proven to be a daunting task. As the days and weeks pass, our crowd has decreased considerably. For some, it was cool to be part of a movement. Others had to go back to work. And others may have simply figured out that being on the front lines isn’t for them. That being said, there remains small but mighty group of folks that I can count on being there as often as I am.

These people are sacrificing personal comfort, as we are in masks even when the temperature soars above 90 degrees. They are sacrificing their own safety, as we are pretty regularly harassed. They are oftentimes sacrificing their emotional well-being, as the emotional labor is a heavy burden. I don’t believe that any of those things really ever cross their minds because this is more than a “cause” – this is human rights, life or death.

I am so grateful that they have come into my life, and in such a meaningful way. As I’ve taken on this role of activist/organizer – my fellow protestors have become my friends, my protectors and my team. I tend to have an “If it has to get done, I’ll do it myself” attitude, but I can’t do that now because this is far larger than me. My team has made it clear that I’m not in this alone. They make sure I’ve eaten, gotten some rest, and staying hydrated. They’ve also gotten me into the habit of asking for help when I need it.

I wanted to talk about my “team” because what they are doing is so important, not just to me – but our city and the world at large. Far less progress would have been made if I were to go it alone. Their dedication is remarkable. Up until about two weeks ago, we were protesting every. Single. Day. Together, we re-evaluated our methods and decided to switch to Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. We needed to do this not only to keep from getting burnt out, but because there is much more work to do aside from protesting. For us, protesting is the vehicle to raise awareness – however, there are letters that need to be written, emails to send, research to do, and educating to be done. At the time of writing, we’ve researched, written and presented a police reform proposal to the mayor and several others, taken part in a sit-in, worked with E.A.T Chicago, Our Revolution, and Will County Progressives.

As time marches on, I realize more and more that this is an ongoing fight and an uphill battle. I know that no matter how frustrated, angry, tired or hurt I am, I cannot give up. This is our chance to make a change, not only for ourselves but for future generations.

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A word from Allipwells:

I just wanted to say a huge thank you to Candice for writing for us. I have watched her work herself to the bone, and know that writing this must have been difficult on a multitude of levels, not the least being for sake of time. It is an honor and privilege to work with her and I look forward to continue working with her in the future. If you would like to know more about the different works Candice and her team are doing please don't hesitate to reach out, and I can put you in contact with her. Please show your support however you can, and keep fighting!