STURGEON BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – After seeing what happened in Charlottesville, members of Indivisible Door County gathered Monday night, hoping to send a message to their area.
Lynn Olson of Ellison Bay spoke to WLUK
“I don’t think there is any part of our country that is free of this. Our entire country, we’ve got a lot of learning to do.”
Indivisible Door County formed at the beginning of this year. It meets regularly on issues that deal with liberty, justice, and freedom for all.
Karon Winzenz of Jacksonport. says members took quick action to coordinate a silent vigil after this weekend’s violence.
“We’re supporting black people and their right to an equal life.”
“It was scary when I saw people marching with the torches,” said Paula Christensen of Sister Bay.
“They used to put white covers on their faces and now they are so emboldened that they’re not even doing that.”
Since last summer, Christensen and many others at the vigil started researching and discussing racism and white supremacy through The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Door County.
“It’s humbling. It’s scary. It’s embarrassing that I didn’t know. I’m in my 60s. I didn’t know anything that I’ve been learning about racism and how I’ve allowed it to happen.”
Christensen and her friends hope the silent vigil will influence others in their community to learn about the issue as well.
“This is not the 1960s,” said Olson.
“This is 2017 and we’re better than that. Really, we learned from those experiences. We should be well beyond this insanity that is going on right now.”
A vigil was also held in Appleton last night. Another is planned in Green Bay this evening.
