Sounds of drums, singing and chanting rang through downtown Hillsborough Saturday as several hundred anti-racist protestors marched to the front of the Historic Orange County Courthouse building where just last weekend members of the Ku Klux Klan held a widely-publicized event.

The March For A Hate Free Hillsborough saw speakers from local NAACP chapters, anti-racist organizations and indigenous peoples’ organizations and was co-hosted by Hate Free Schools Coalition and Hillsborough Progressives Taking Action.

Latarndra Strong, the founder of Hate Free Schools Coalition, said she was driving down the street last weekend when she saw the white supremacist group setting up near the old courthouse.

“I had my children in the car, and I told them to stay in the car. As I walked over I said to myself, I don’t know what I am going to say when I get over there, but they need to see my black face. I know a lot of white people are going to come out, but they need to see my black face. So for about 10 minutes it was a face off between me and them.”

Strong helped get the word out that day and in the following days, and organized this march.

“My heart is warmed by the number of people here. Remember, we had only five days to put this together,” she said. “So had we had another week, could you imagine what this crowd would be?”

Last weekend’s Klan meetup downtown was far from an isolated incident. Strong and other protestors had been showing up downtown to counter flag-waving white supremacist for the past four weeks now, she said. But the images from last weekend’s Klan rally, shared widely on social media by local and national figures including North Carolina House Representative Graig Meyer and Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rouke, had seemed to galvanize a larger response.

Representative Meyer was in attendance Saturday, he said his social media posts about last weekend’s event were shared over 5 million times online. And while the march and the outpouring of support were “healing” moments, he said, the work cannot stop there.

“What we really need in Hillsborough is to make it not just about these specific, highlighted events, but about building an inclusive community for everybody everyday,” he said.” We need to have schools and healthcare systems, criminal justice systems that all take care of every resident we have in this community. Rich and poor, white black and brown.”

Multiple chapter presidents of the NAACP attended the event, including North Carolina NAACP president Dr. Reverend Anthony Spearman and Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chapter President Anna Richards. Dr. Spearman introduced long-time activist Lucy Lewis. Lewis recounted her experience as a survivor of the Greensboro Massacre of 1979. On November 3 of that year, members of the Klan shot down five activists in Greensboro and injured scores more.

Just this past weekend, pictures shared by activists online showed Klan members openly carrying firearms, in defiance of state law banning the open carry of firearms, “in certain situations, such as at parades, protests, or demonstrations.” As previously reported on Chapelboro.com this week, Orange County authorities have taken out warrants against two individuals.

Organizers at the March for a Hate Free Hillsborough said they were thrilled with the turnout for the event. They said they couldn’t remember a time when they had seen this kind of attendance for a downtown protest.

Strong said moving forward, her organization will look to continue to mobilize folks to do the primary mission of the Hate-Free Schools Coalition: fighting racism.

As the crowd cheered on the next speaker, Strong said she was energized by the support.

 “If you write anything, it’s important to me that you write or you speak about my love for the people who have showed up today.”

Related Stories
‹
Hillsborough: State Budget, Last Fridays Art Walk, Upcoming Events
Hillsborough Mayor Mark Bell spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Tuesday, July 28, discussing town news and events. He discussed the recently adopted state budget and some of the implications for Hillsborough that town staff have found in the budget. He also discussed raises for some community members contained in the budget, and more. He also previewed this weekend's Last Fridays Art Walk, and other upcoming events the town is planning through the end of the year.
Red Cross Declares Blood Crisis: Here's Where You Can Donate Locally
The American Red Cross is calling for immediate blood donations, declaring a national blood crisis for the second time in history.
Heavy Rains, Flash Flooding Lead to Interstate 40 Closure and Delays in Hillsborough
UPDATE: As of 10:30 a.m., the closure at the I-40/I-85 split has reopened and Interstate 40 West at Exit 261 reopened at 9 a.m. Flash flooding from early morning rain developed on parts of Interstate 40 and Interstate 85 in Orange County on Thursday, leading to lane closures and significant traffic delays. The North Carolina […]
Hillsborough: Water Rates, Reservoir Check, Leak Reporting
Hillsborough Mayor Mark Bell spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Tuesday, July 21, discussing town news and events. He discussed the increase in water and sewer rates that were approved in the budget, which will start to show up on folks bills in August. He also discussed the latest on the levels at the reservoir, which are still comfortably above the water restriction limits. He also went over the protocols for reporting leaks to the water treatment plant, and more.
On Air Today: Summertime events in Hillsborough with Paynter Law
Paynter Law lead attorney Stuart Paynter and Firm Manager Ella Feathers spoke with 97.9 the Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Thursday, July 16.  They discussed ongoing events they are participating in this Summer including Cars, Coffee, and Counsel in Morrisville and Greensboro, and Last Friday Art Walks in Hillsborough.  They also discussed the importance of road safety awareness in the Summertime and around the holidays, and the upcoming River Park Concert happening in Hillsborough in October.
On Air Today: Tropical Terrariums Workshop with Yonder Southern Cocktails and Brew Bar Manager Paige McNeal
Yonder Southern Cocktails and Brew Bar Manager Paige McNeal spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Thursday, July 16. They discussed upcoming events at Yonder, which includes the quarterly literary event "Noir at the Bar." They also discussed a tropical drinks and tropical terrariums workshop led by 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey coming up on Sunday, July 19, and more.
More than 38,000 Gallons of Untreated Sewage Spills into Unnamed Hillsborough Creek
The Town of Hillsborough responded to a discharge of untreated sewage into an unnamed creek Monday morning. The spill, which the town estimated at 38,400 gallons, is believed to have begun Saturday and has since been stopped. According to a town release, the spill began due to a fence post stuck in an eight-inch sewer […]
Hillsborough: State Budget, Heat Plan, Sewer Spill
Hillsborough Mayor Mark Bell spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Tuesday, July 14, discussing town news and events. He discussed the summer heat, and detailed resources available in Hillsborough for folks who need relief on particularly hot days. He also talked about the state budget and the potential for getting Chantal Recovery funds from that budget. He shared details on a large sewage spill from over the weekend, and more.
Eno Arts Mill Announces Reopening Ceremony After Repairing Flood Damage From Chantal
The Eno Arts Mill is preparing to fully return to its regular operations after a year of recovery and rebuilding from flood damage sustained during Chantal.
The Return of Noir at the Bar with Eryk Pruitt, S.A. Cosby, Linda Sands, and More
Noir at the Bar, the long-running live literary event that combines crime fiction, cocktails, and live performance, returns to Yonder in downtown Hillsborough on Wednesday, July 16 at 7:00 p.m. Hosted by longtime emcee Tracey Reynolds, the evening will feature live readings from an all-star lineup of acclaimed authors including Eryk Pruitt, S.A. Cosby, Linda Sands, Jen Conley, Russell Johnson, Morgan Sullivan, Nathan Kotecki, and Isaac Hughes Green.
›