Fort King Presbyterian Church

Ocala, Florida

Adult and youth members of Fort King Presbyterian Church in Ocala, Florida, joined in the city’s Black Lives Matter demonstration on May 31, standing in solidarity with the nationwide outrage over George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis. As a Matthew 25 congregation, the focus on dismantling structural racism prompted their peaceful participation in the community march. One of their signs aptly read: “Respect existence or expect resistance.” After the demonstration, the church’s youth group discussed, via Zoom, racism and examples of white privilege. The youth who had participated in the demonstration shared her experience and how empowering it was to be there.