Candler Lowe, Campus Carrier Deputy News Editor
April 23 is scheduled to be a busy day for Rome and the Berry community; a Neo-Nazi rally, a protest of the rally and Berry’s Mountain Day Grand March are planned for that day.
The rally is slated to take place in downtown Rome and has gained the attention of many student activists who are doing what they can to oppose the ideas that the group promotes.
Sophomore Josh Beck created the Facebook page “Rally Against Neo-Nazis in Rome” to raise awareness about the significant issues in on going equality the rally imposes. Beck made the page because he believes that it is an important conversation for students to have.
Beck said that his parents brought him up to believe that no one is better or worse based on religion, race, gender or sexual orientation.
“We all have a duty to treat each other with respect and the dignity we all deserve,” Beck said.
Beck is encouraging supporters of his group to join “Turn Your Backs on Hate—A Silent Protest,” which is another Facebook page. The page advertises the silent protest, and gives information regarding the plan to stand in silent protest against the rally. After the protest the group will travel to the Rome Unity Festival at Ridge Ferry Park.
Beck’s goal was to be a voice of concern and connect students so that they could hold a conversation about these racial issues. He thinks that the page for the counter-rally was designed for people to start the discussion and that the Turn Your Back group is a plug for the next step: a unified response.
“It is essential in the current state of our country that we have a discussion about tough issues like race,” Beck said. “I can only hope that an event such as this will put a spotlight on that conversation.”
Senior Maggie Crow, the student supervisor for the women’s and gender studies program plans to attend the silent protest and thinks that it is great to see Berry students getting involved with issues outside the Berry community.
“I think our generation is really motivated and really aware that there are a lot of prejudices and forces working against communities,” Crow said. “It’s really important for a small community like this to stay aware and be supportive and united.”
SGA president Ree Palmer said the rescheduled Grand March will likely be held in the early afternoon so students can participate in the march and the silent protest.