Protest At Six Corners Organized For Memorial And Solidarity

JOLIET, IL —Trista Graves Brown is a life-long Joliet resident. She founded the group Speak Up in 2018 to create a space where people could come together and demand justice.

On Friday afternoon, she organized a protest at six corners in Joliet that sought to honor not only George Floyd, but also local black men and women who have died in Joliet while in police custody.

One of the men honored was Scott Shoemaker. Shoemaker died in 1997 after being chased by police and bitten excessively by police dogs. His sister, Cenie Jordan spoke on Friday afternoon.

"We're here on behalf of my brother Scott Shoemaker," she said.

Surrounded by her family, she explained that a police dog bit her brother 44 times. He did not survive.

"I just feel like there is no justice when it comes to police," she said.

More than 200 people attended the protest, which became so hot that one woman passed out from the heat. While nurses attended to her, Tony Graves, who was speaking at the time, asked the crowd to pray for her health. Joliet Fire Department took the woman away in an ambulance.

Bishop Steve Evans of Leap Faith Ministries echoed the voice of those in attendance demanding that Black Lives Matter.

"It's time for a change," he said. "It's time for a change in this city, it's time for a change in this nation."

Earlier in the protest, Graves Brown called on protestors to take a moment of silence, specifically, she requested eight minutes, 49 seconds for everyone to think of the death of Floyd. While protestors stood silently, she repeated Floyd's words, calling for his mamma and saying "I can't breathe."

Although the time was cut short, protestors remained silent as requested.

Kimberly Shumpert also spoke at the protest, elevating her son, Mark Black.

"I remember bathing him and giving him the rules to live a little longer," she said. "I will do anything to have my son here; I will do anything to see him turn 23."

Protestors in attendance came also to remember Bruce Carter and Eric Lurry.

Carter was killed in March when Joliet Police Detective Aaron Bandy fired four bullets into the 38-year old. In May 2019, the Will County State's Attorney Jim Glasgow ruled that Bandy was justified to use deadly force to kill Carter.

Lurry died in January after ingesting a bag of cocaine in the Joliet Police Department parking lot, authorities say.

Maureen Hites attended Friday's protest and said she came away feeling like change is happening.

"I was a little girl when the movement started in the 1960s," she said. "I knew it was gonna take this generation, not my generation."

She added that this generation was going to bring her generation - the baby boomers - out to join in the fight.

Read more about protestors opinions on Mayor Bob O'Dekirk here.