1 of 15
2 of 15
3 of 15
4 of 15
5 of 15
6 of 15
7 of 15
8 of 15
9 of 15
10 of 15
11 of 15
12 of 15
13 of 15
14 of 15
15 of 15
On any other weekend, Southlake Town Square would bring sights of families, couples and children walking through the district. On Saturday, June 6, Southlake Town Square was instead filled with people wearing masks, holding signs and speaking out against racism and support victims of police brutality.
Rising senior Estela Romero formed the Progressive Activism Club about a month ago alongside Southlake Carroll students Toni Afolabi, Alika Osadolor, Nikki Olayeye and Grace Cropper. Advocating for social justice reform, Estela says the club’s mission is to fight for basic civil and human rights.
“The purpose of the club is to support minority groups and have an open dialogue about movements and social justice,” Estela says. “I’ve always felt strongly about human rights and fighting for what was right, and I felt this was one way I could do that.”
After the board formed and the club had its first meeting, George Floyd was asphyxiated by Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin on May 25. Videos filming the encounter went viral and drew widespread condemnation from residents, law enforcement and city officials alike, including from Southlake DPS and Mayor Laura Hill.
Like many other social justice organizations, the Progressive Activism Club felt called to lead a peaceful protest in solidarity with George Floyd and his family. But it wasn’t easy for the students while planning the protest.
“I remember getting death threats at like one in the morning; horrible, horrible threats from strong-minded people saying they were going to carry out their second amendment rights,” Estela recalls. “Two of my board members considered postponing this because of the threats they were getting. But for me, it was never a question of canceling it. There were still people that were going to show up there on Saturday, and even if we postponed this, we were still going to get the exact same threats that we did before.”
They showed up to Southlake Town Square at 2 p.m. on Saturday to a crowd filled with hundreds of supporters. Several local officials such as school board members Michelle Moore and Dave Almand were in attendance, as well as Board and Community Relations Assistant Superintendent Julie Thannum. Mayor Hill even made opening remarks early in the protest.
“I was honestly surprised – and delighted – that so many in the community came out to protest,” CISD District Diversity Council co-chair Pamela Francis says. “I was struck by how large and how diverse the protest was. It brought tears to my eyes to listen to the speeches, read the signs and look out over the sea of faces of every color simply seeking justice and equal treatment for everyone. The entire afternoon was peaceful, powerful and moving.”
After Progressive Activism Club members spoke and led chants protesting police brutality, the entire crowd came together and kneeled for eight minutes and 46 seconds – the same amount of time Derek Chauvin kneeled on George’s neck. Estela remembers it as an emotionally moving moment where the community advocated for a better future.
“It was an incredible, amazing moment,” Estela says. “I was kneeling with my friends, and we were all holding hands. We never expected to see all of this on Southlake Town Square.”
After they finished kneeling, protestors lined up and started marching around the square, all while chanting and displaying their signs. Estela says she was initially concerned because the march was not planned by the club.
“The crowd just took it upon themselves to start marching,” she says. “But Southlake PD was very supportive. They adjusted quickly, boarded up Southlake Boulevard and looked after the protestors as they marched.”
While protests are still going on, Pamela wants others to remember that the fight for justice isn’t over for many people who experienced the same type of brutality that George Floyd did.
“We might think that we live in a bubble and these issues don't affect us, but they do,” Pamela says. “Our privilege of living in a wealthy community does not shield us from the rest of the world. I was moved by the vast numbers of Southlake residents who joined me in believing that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
As for the Progressive Activism Club, Estela says they’ll be looking to hold an event for the LGBT community soon in honor of Pride Month. After all, advocating for progress doesn’t stop.
“I hope people wake up,” Estela says. “I hope people look around and realize white privilege is a real thing, and I want people to know what’s going on outside of the area. I feel like a change is coming and I am proud we were able to help work toward that.”