Supply collection and Black Lives Matter protest to occur in Northbrook Monday, June 8

A supply collection and protest to rally support for the Black Lives Matter movement is scheduled to take place on Monday, June 8. Donations will be accepted from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on the corner of Cherry Lane and Western Avenue. At 4 p.m., protesters are scheduled to walk to the back of Northbrook Village Hall and listen to black community members speak. 

Monetary donations and donations of snacks, hygiene products, medical supplies and facemasks will be accepted to aid Chicago organizations such as Brave Space Alliance and Pilsen Food Pantry. Alumnus Lauren McGinnis (‘20) and rising senior Sofia Thompson, two organizers of the event, have shared virtual flyers about the event through social media.  

According to McGinnis in a phone interview, she spoke to Village President Sandy Frum and Dan Strickland, deputy police chief of operations, to “iron out the details” of the protest. According to Chief of Police Roger Adkins, the Northbrook Police Department is expected to monitor the crowd size and, if warranted, close Cedar Lane and eastbound Cherry Lane to facilitate the march.

According to Thompson in a phone interview, participants are required to wear facemasks to try to limit the spread of COVID-19. Supply donations will be contact-free, and monetary donations will be conducted through Venmo. 

The protest is a way to make sure the black people in the community are heard, Thompson said. 

According to McGinnis, she plans to speak at the event about her family’s experience with racism. 

“The attention is on [the Black Lives Matter movement] right now, but it’s a conversation we need to continue to have,” said McGinnis. “I think that having black community members speak [lets] people know that this isn’t just a news story. This impacts peoples’ daily lives.”