Many Ask How, Beyond Protesting George Floyd's Death, They Can Be Part Of Making Change
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Powerful images of demonstrators have people looking for ways to engage in peaceful and meaningful change in other ways.
"I believe in marching. Marching says 'I'm here. I want to be heard,'" said Elizabeth Meaders.
Meaders, a historian from Mariners Harbor, Staten Island, is dedicated to teaching, healing and sensitivity, having created an astonishingly large museum of the African American experience right inside her home.
VIDEO: Tour Her Astonishing Collection Of Artifacts
"It all starts with education," she said.
Meaders says people make a difference at any age in all parts of the country.
"The silent majority has to make the difference. So my hope is that the silent majority will make a strong stand," she said.
"It's time for all of us to stand behind them," said New Rochelle resident Leah Yang DiPietro. She marches on behalf of others who can not.
"The voices around me, and the people around me, gave me the strength to continue," she said.
To get their message across, their feet are on pavement. But there are other ways to take steps, reported CBS2's Dave Carlin.
"Beyond just the protesting what can you do? One of the things that folks can do is give money to groups," said Tanya Denise Fields, executive director and founder of the Black Feminist Project.
She says your everyday conversations can become game changers.
"Are you calling out your friends? Are you calling out your relatives? Are you calling out your coworkers and your bosses?" she said.
"Resources are needed. So one way if you can't be on the front lines is to go online make phone calls," said social impact advisor and activist Lamell McMorris.
He says doing something from home can inject the passion and catharsis from the street into chambers of power and influence, places of learning, and into the culture.