“I want people to treat my black friends the way they treat my white friends,” said Melodee Rutliff. Rutliff is an El Dorado resident and organizer of the peaceful protest.
For the second week in a row, protesters have gathered to support the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. On Saturday June 13th, Rutliff was joined by Dr. Willie Scott, Jr. from Wichita United and approximately 20 fellow protesters.
They stood at the corner of W. Central and Hillside, in front of the QuikTrip, holding signs that said “we are in this together” and “spread love not violence.”
“We’re not trying to shove it down anybody’s throat or anything,” said Rutliff. “But we’ll keep coming out until stuff changes. We’re not just going to be out here at week and then be quiet. That’s what they need, they need us to stay behind them,” Rutliff said.
Protesters observed safety measures and wore masks while sharing messages of peace, love and unity, with passersby.
Their message is simple.
“We’re all about bridging the gap,” said Dr. Scott. “We’re all preaching the same message and together we become stronger.”
Dr. Scott’s organization, Wichita United, is based in Wichita, Kansas.
“We’ve brought together every ethnicity, color, creed and background to fight for the same, common goal of unifying our city for the peace of our children,” Dr. Scott said. “We’re spreading the love with our peaceful protests; we’re doing voter registration; we’re going to City Council meetings, fighting policies and legislation to get things changed for our children to have a better future.”
Dr. Scott brought his own children along to be a part of that change. His son, Zy’hon and daughter, Au’marie joined him in the peaceful protest.
Deanna Bonn 
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