Protests continue for third week in Neshoba

A community discussion on "leadership, issues, and progressive measures for the future" will be led by The Black Empowerment Organization of Philadelphia-Neshoba County — which had previously identified with Black Lives Matter — on Friday after protests continued last week in the police shooting death of an unarmed black man in Minnesota last month.

The protesters, mostly under 30, gathered at Neshoba County Courthouse for a third week on Friday to rally for change.

A Juneteenth event this week will center on black history and voting practices. Juneteenth is the oldest nationally-celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United State going back to June 19, 1865.

As protestors headed to the courthouse last week, they stopped briefly in front of The Neshoba Democrat to call for "no more bias in their (the Democrat's) coverage of our community."

At the courthouse, the group had a short open-mic session and marched around the courthouse.

Tiffany, Tiffon and Malek Moore, the organizers, all assured the protests are entirely peaceful and focused on community improvement.

"We're not gonna stand for anybody rioting or doing all that," Tiffany said. "That's not what we're standing for. We're not gonna do that. We're doing this peacefully just to say, ‘Hey, we've had enough,' or whatever. George Floyd and what happened to him is just something that, the straw the broke the camel's back for us to say, ‘It's timeout.'"

A Philadelphia man was arrested 45 minutes after participating in a protest parade on June 6 after police said he was driving recklessly on St. Francis Drive and failed to stop for police before leading them across town and finally stopping on Donald Avenue at Ivy Street, according to Philadelphia Police Chief Julian Greer. There were social media accusations he was being harassed and a large crowd gathered before police left.

The Moores all emphasized the need for further community involvement in Neshoba County to correct injustices on a small and large scale.

"We're trying to do it locally, and we're trying to do it at the state level," Tiffany said. "What we wanna do is start right here in our own town and with our locals and try to get them to understand where we're coming from. It's just not about George Floyd, but it's about other things that have happened within our community."

Tiffany referenced her experience working under Neshoba County Circuit Clerk Patti Lee as an example of the racial bias in the Neshoba County system.

"I could see a young black guy — or whatever — come in for the sale of crack cocaine and see a young white guy sell crack cocaine," Tiffany said. "The young white guy would go through drug court. That young black guy was going to prison. So what we wanna do is, if it goes for one, it goes for all, and we want to be treated fairly."



Equality in funding was a major sticking point for Tiffany and Malek. Both emphasized the need for city funding to go towards improvements at Westside. One specific example included more funding towards community improvement at the Booker T. Washington football field and gym.

Civic representation is another central issue since their protests always include a voter registration table. Tiffany took the mic during the protest to implore the audience to register to vote, no matter the hesitations present. Tiffon, Tiffany's daughter, shared similar invocations.

Sunday marks the 56th anniversary of the murders here of three young men who were registering blacks to vote. (See story page 1A.)

"First, we want more representation, and that is one of the main topics that we're going to be discussing today is having more representation in our local communities and our local governments, also on the county districts and different things like that," Tiffon said. "If we have people who represent our ideas, then we can actually push to have legislation and implement some of the things that we feel like are important to us, especially when it comes to sentencing disparities."

Tiffon mentioned they are working with Police Chief Julian Greer to build a "community relationship" with the department.

Additionally, Tiffon called for a refocusing of police efforts on purely police business, like criminal activity, and the allowance of community institutions to begin responding to community ills without police involvement.

For example, Tiffon gave the example of mental health professionals and social workers as being necessary to better respond to pertinent calls than to force the police department to respond to situations they may not be as well-trained to do.

Kerry Fox, a truck driver who lives in Philadelphia, attended the protest on Friday and continued the call for fairness in the community.

"Philadelphia's a great place. I'm born and raised here. … There's just certain things that go on that's just not fair, especially being from our ethnicity," Fox said. "Sometimes we feel our neighborhoods are a little too over-policed. Because it has been days I have been out, enjoying the breeze, and you don't hardly see any police in town, none. … But you go around Martin Luther King Drive or whatever, there's all the police. There's just certain things. I mean, change starts with people, point blank period."

Ayana Jones, a native of Philadelphia and student at Jackson State University, echoed Tiffon Moore's calls for more community involvement in policing.

"Police presence in our community, not just as officers but actual community members, is a way to improve everything," Jones said. "If we have more contact with who are policing us or who are supposed to be protecting us, then that's the way to build better community relationships, in my opinion."

Mayor Jame A. Young two weeks ago called for "one Philadelphia" and prayed a prayer of peace and unity.

He encouraged the young people to get an education because that can't be taken away and it allows young people to be who "God has called you to be."

"We pray a prayer of peace in our country, in our cities all over this land," he began. "We pray a prayer of love and unity for all that hear our voice."

"We thank you, oh God, for letting us be an example of peaceful protest, which is a Constitutional right that has been given us. We say thank you right now!" aThe organizers continue to plan more events into the future. The Juneteenth event will be held at Booker T. Washington football field on June 19 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.