Photo by Quinn Clark
Tanya McLean, friend of the Blake family and one of the organizers of the event, says they must reject President Donald Trump’s attempts to divide the country.
Tuesday, Sept. 1 could have erupted into chaos upon President Donald Trump’s arrival in Kenosha. Instead, it was a day full of joy and healing led by Jacob Blake’s family. Trump still hasn’t spoken with Blake, and has defended the actions of the protest shooter, Kyle Rittenhouse. Yet, when he decided to visit Kenosha in its time of unrest, the Blake family decided to respond the best way they knew how: with a community gathering.
“We're going to work together,” said Justin Blake, Jacob’s uncle. “We're going to put aside our differences. We’re going to agree to disagree, and we're going to rebuild our community.”
The Justice for Jacob Community Celebration took place in Kenosha at 28th Street and 48th Avenue. Prominent figures such as Rev. Jesse Jackson, Stevante Clark and Sen. Lena Taylor were in attendance along with several organizations, including WISDOM Wisconsin, EquiTeens Kenosha and the Black Lives Activists of Kenosha. The air was thick with the smell of the God’s Kitchen of Kenosha grilling hotdogs and the sounds of a DJ’s upbeat music and children’s laughter as they jumped on blow-up bounce houses. All were welcome to enjoy the event’s free food, haircuts, COVID-19 testing and voter registration.
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Photo by Quinn Clark
The finishing touches are made on a free haircut.
Invest in the Community
While the celebration was a time of healing and rest, the message was still clear. Tanya McLean, a family friend of the Blakes and an organizer of the event, reminded the crowd of why they were there. “We stand here today to demand an end to police violence and systemic racism and to call for an investment in our community,” McLean said. “Until black communities can thrive, none of us can truly thrive.”
BLAK, an activist group recently formed after Jacob Blake’s shooting, has been on the frontlines of protests every day in Kenosha. However, on this day, they did not plan to attend any protests due to Trump’s arrival. Instead, they remained at the Community Celebration, dancing with attendees and socializing with new people. Porsche Bennett, a member of BLAK, wouldn’t comment on her thoughts of Trump coming to Kenosha. She says the activist group was there to have fun with the community and to support the Blake family.
“The community is our focus. This is our plan,” Bennett said. “We're where we belong, where we care about.” Later, Bennett could be seen playing with toys with a child in attendance and dancing to the DJ’s music. She’d seen many intense circumstances during protests; now, it was time to connect with others.
Get Up and Vote
Anthony Herring sat at a table to help attendees register to vote. He expressed how important it was that people exercised their right to have a say in who is elected. Herring also acknowledged that young people are less likely to vote, so he had a message for them. “If there was a chance for reincarnation and you could come back, what kind of world would you want to come back to?” Herring said.
James Olm came from his home in Whitewater to show his support for the Blake family. He stood with a protest sign that called Trump the cause, not the cure. “I think we’re at a crossroads right now and it’s a pretty dangerous crossroads,” Olm said. “And this November election is getting to be more and more important because of things that are happening that, I think, are due to the policies and the rhetoric of President Trump.”
Justin Blake could be seen socializing with attendees, and even joining in on dancing along to the “Cha Cha Slide.” “This is our family now. Kenosha’s our family now, and we want to help them heal themselves,” Blake said.
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A child writes “BLM” and draws hearts on the road with chalk.
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A DJ plays upbeat music encouraging people to dance together.
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Ezekiel White enjoys playing with his trucks with Porsche Bennett, member of Black Lives Activists of Kenosha.
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God’s Kitchen of Kenosha, a nonprofit organization dedicated to feeding those in need, grills free hotdogs for attendees.
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James Olm, from Whitewater, felt it was time for him to get up and actively show his support for the Blake family.
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Justin Blake stands in front of one of the bounce houses at the community event as he reminds people how important it is to vote.
Check out the video by Tyler Nelson from the celebration.
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