Black Lives Matter returns to Belleville, and activists say efforts have expanded
A now-familiar sight revisited downtown Belleville on Saturday as demonstrators gathered to protest the police killing of a young Black man in Minnesota, but activists say they’ve also begun working on other community efforts when they’re not marching.
Community cleanups, coat drives and voter engagement have been among the groups’ activities since southwestern Illinois saw historic protests last summer. The groups have aligned, said activist and former Belleville mayoral write-in candidate J.D. Dixon.
“It’s a beautiful thing, coming together to get all the metro-east together to push for change,” Dixon said at the rally protesting the April 11 killing of 20-year-old Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. “It doesn’t need to stop until systemic change is achieved.”
Activist groups such as Dixon’s Empire 13, FOURward Movement and Black Men Build have continued work in their communities once protests died down in 2020.
Deandre “Dre Fire” Ellis of Belleville is part of Black Men Build, a nationwide service organization aimed at empowering and educating Black men. Dre Fire is part of the St. Louis chapter and plans to found an East St. Louis chapter.
“A lot of people aren’t used to Black men really doing service, and we want to step up for our community and do that service,” Dre Fire said. “We need them out there because we just want them to focus on themselves and the community.”
In December, the group collected and donated more than a hundred coats to kids. They’ve also hosted community cleanups in St. Louis and have another one planned for April 24 (8 a.m.-2 p.m., Wohl Center, 1515 N. Kingshighway Blvd.) in addition to a cleanup in East St. Louis planned for the same day at the Samuel Gompers Homes (1-4 p.m., 450 N 6th St.).
Empire 13 also has a community cleanup planned for April 25 in East St. Louis (9 a.m., 6755 State St.).
Before demonstrators marched down East Main Street on Saturda, Dixon said the groups still plan to fight for police and gun reform, but also aim to help their communities in the process.
“Black Americans have been deemed criminals, have been deemed violent, and that’s just to paint us that way so when we are killed, when we are slayed in the street by police that it’s looked over, or that we deserve it,” Dixon said. “And in order for this to change, we have to get the people involved.”
