Photo by Eugene Driscoll
Maya Angelou Spruill addresses the crowd in Derby.
DERBY — When Maya Angelou Spruill posted to Facebook Tuesday morning to tell people about the NAACP’s vigil later in the day to remember George Floyd, she was immediately hit with waves of negativity in the responses.
A year after Floyd died while crying “mama” as a Minnesota police officer leaned on his neck, people on Valley Facebook were still arguing that Floyd was a criminal who should not be celebrated. They posted ‘laughing emojis,’ a link to Floyd’s previous encounters to law enforcement, and a web link to a comedy routine, Spruill said.
Never mind that that a jury found the police officer guilty of unintentional second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. Throw out the fact the officer’s actions were condemned by law enforcement across the country and sparked mass protests and calls for change. Forget that Valley police and elected officials marched alongside people carrying ‘Black Lives Matter’ during peaceful protests last year.
There is still a large racial divide in the country, and locally, too, Spruill said, as evidenced by the reaction on social media.
But that’s why Spruill continues to speak out, and why the speakers at Tuesday’s night’s vigil on the Derby Green to mark the one-year anniversary of Floyd’s death urged people to spread love, not hate — and to become agents of change by joining the local chapter of the NAACP.
“We can’t keep blaming the police. We can’t keep blaming the color of our skin,” Spruill said. At the same time, the public can’t play down racial inequities and police brutality with the “oh, they were criminals” excuse, she said.
“Every single one of us has made a mistake,” Spruill said. “And if every one of us makes mistakes, we need to show compassion. We need to show love.”
Spruill said Black Americans, including her son, should not be afraid of getting pulled over by police, a statement that hit home with Derby Mayor Rich Dziekan, a police officer for 30 years.
Dziekan told the crowd of just under 100 people that a police officer’s job is to serve and protect the public.
“We need to come together. I don’t want you to be scared when you see a police officer,” Dziekan said, his eyes welling with tears. “I don’t want your son to be scared. I get emotional with that because it is my life.”
Spruill walked over to Dziekan and comforted him with a hug. The video is below.
Valley NAACP President Greg Johnson urged the crowd to support the George Floyd Justice In Policing Act, a bill that passed the U.S. House of Representatives in March but hasn’t been voted upon in the U.S. Senate.
“Justice for George Floyd is about more than a single verdict. There is more to be done to make sure that Black Americans can live without fear of police violence,” Johnson said.
The event concluded with people holding candles as members of the Valley NAACP read a list of names of people who were killed by police.
“Enough is enough,” Johnson said.
To join the Valley NAACP, go to NAACP.org and enter your zipcode. The local chapter is coded “2000‑B Ansonia Branch.”
