JANE CHARMELO PHOTO
On Sunday, June 7, hundreds of people gathered in solidarity at Lombard’s Four Seasons Park to speak out against racism and to remember George Floyd, who died May 25, after being held down by a Minneapolis police officer. One of the speakers, Yasmin Toto—a Glendale Heights resident and Glenbard East High School graduate—led the crowd in reciting the black national anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” “We’re tired of hearing about our black brothers and sisters dying every day,” she said. “We’re all gathered here as one human race…sadly, not everyone has that type of mindset.” Toto, who had spoken in Wheaton and Glen Ellyn the day before, also said, “We’re tired. We’re fed up. We’re angry.” A number of people spoke during the event, including individuals of differing ethnicities who described their own experiences with racism.
