Unity march planned for July 12

Published 7:00 am Friday, July 3, 2020

A march for unity will be held in Picayune on July 12.

The event is intended to bring everyone together, said Kesslar Porche with Yune-ify, the organization hosting the march.

The goal of the march is for everyone to stand together in peace, said Porche.

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“With all that’s surfacing, not that’s it’s surfacing, it’s been here—it’s almost like digging in an old wound. It’s making things intense. With things becoming intense it can start causing conflict between the different races and so we’re just here to remind everyone that we are one. We are in this together,” she said.

The march will begin at 6 p.m. on July 12 at Snyder Park on Beech Street and end at J.P. Johnson Park on Rosa Street. Attendees should wear facemasks. Refreshments will be available at the end of the march and a table will be set up to help people register to vote.

Several different organizations are planning to be part of the event. Yune-ify organizers are grateful for every organization supporting the event, Porche said.

Yune-ify formed as an organization during protests for Black Lives Matter in Picayune, but is no longer organizing protests. Instead the group has moved on to other projects, like organizing the unity march. Porche said she personally feels some of the goals of the protests have been accomplished.

“I do believe that protesting helps getting the message across, touching the hearts of people,” she said. “We also have to take the next step to put into action making change and being the change we want to see.”

Even without a formal organization, small Black Lives Matter protests have continued to take place in Picayune as recently as Wednesday.