A friend and I were walking to lunch in Chelsea, Michigan when we saw people holding signs on all the street corners of the main intersection in town. “Chelsea Welcomes Everybody,” one sign read, as they also held anti-racist signs and LGBTQIA+ flags.
“Thank you for being out here,” I said to one of the folks. I’ve been aware that they come out here every single Sunday. They get some resistance occasionally, but mostly, they receive honks from people driving by. This becomes an occasion to quell violence and stand for values that promote inclusion and affirmation.
“This is week 130,” she said back to me. I smiled and thanked her again. I’m very moved by what they’re doing.
This group of people, mostly white Boomers, began doing more than two years ago this when young people in Chelsea held an anti-racism protest and were arrested. “We’re not letting that happen to them again,” she said.
What a beautiful expression of affirmation and support.
–Renee Roederer
Smuggling Grace 