Read story Oak Grove senior citizens rally for Black Lives Matter for the background of this protest and several more photos.
I live in a Portland suburb senior facility of over 400 residents which is next to a similar facility. For several weeks from 4:30 — 5:30 PM at least 100 residents aged from the mid-60’s to nearly 100 years old from both places have lined the moderately traveled street where they are located with various homemade versions of Black Lives Matter signs. At what passes for rush hour on our street about six to 10 cars pass by every minute.
The rules are simple: wear a mask and maintain social distance. We wave at every car, and enthusiastically respond to everyone who honks or waves at us.
My estimate is that 95% of those who drive pass react positively with gestures and/or think their horns, 4% ignore us, and 1% give us the finger, a thumbs down, or look of disapproval. I counted two men, both in pick-up trucks, giving us the finger. Every once in awhile a car would pass where passengers would lean out the window and cheer loudly. Twice a car with black passengers shouted out “thank you.” This made tears well up in my eyes.
The group I have been standing with have appropriated the arm raised clenched fist gesture. We all remember the Black Power Movement when the Black Panthers made this their signature gesture, but using it to represent solidarity goes way back in history possibly to the French Revolution. Today some football players are also using this gesture.
I have noticed how a fair number of people who have been waving, giving us a V or thumbs up sign change to the clenched fist gesture when they see ours.
I thought a bit about whether white people ought to use a gesture which in recent history was used predominantly by black protesters to express solidarity with each other, but I decided that because this was a power symbol it felt acceptable because it went beyond just waving back at someone to saying without words “we won't allow this and it has got to stop!”
In Portland’s Wall of Moms women are risking being harmed and arrested. While we take no such chance, like them we are saying that whatever power we have because of who we are, old people in our case, we give it to members of the black community by publicly showing our support and our anger at what has been done to them.
Trump’s Schutzstaffel isn’t going to teargas us or haul us away in unmarked vehicles and it’s highly unlikely anyone would dare get out of their vehicle to confront us. We are past our prime but our protest is peaceful, passive, and in its own way, powerful.