Mira Costa High Students, Teacher Hold Black Lives Matter Protest

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA — The Black Lives Matter movement is growing in Manhattan Beach as locals, youths and other residents step up to have a voice. Dubbed "Hear Me Now: A BLM Rally and March @ Polliwog Park," the event, organized and led by Mira Costa High School students, is set for tonight (Friday, June 19) at 6 p.m. at Polliwog Park. MCHS History Instructor Andrew Caine is also involved in the event.

"I hope that the protest will encourage others to never stop fighting for equality and justice," said Manhattan Beach resident Leona Pickard, who will begin her junior at MCHS in the fall. "Just because we aren’t seeing every act of police brutality doesn’t mean it’s not happening. Racial prejudice is real and we cannot have one or two protests and forget about the real issues we have in the world."

The event is "family-friendly," said Pickard, noting that the Manhattan Beach Police Department is aware of the event. She attended protest marches in Manhattan Beach on June 2 and Hermosa Beach on June 6, calling them "an amazing experience. Both protests were organized very well and I got the chance to speak at the second protest on the Hermosa Beach Pier. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend any protests in Los Angeles, however, if I was able to go, I would have been there everyday fighting for justice," she said. "I did not go to the kids protest in MB as I felt it was more appropriate for younger ages, although still a very important event. The Manhattan Beach protest was a great experience for me to be involved in an effective, but safe way."

Pickard, who is 16 years old and has lived in MB for 12 years, is the founder and president of the Acceptance Starts Here club at Mira Costa. "I started the A.S.H. club because although Costa has countless clubs, I didn’t feel like there was one club that was just for anyone to go to," she told Manhattan Beach Patch. "During club meetings, we discussed different charity events to volunteer at, marches for equality, and had speakers come to talk about equality and how they have been discriminated against and how it’s affected them. We were able to raise money, which we will use next year to hopefully expand the club and then donate the rest to the George Floyd Memorial Fund."

Organizers of tonight's event originally wanted to hold it on the campus of Mira Costa High School but were told they could not. Said Pickard, "Polliwog [Park] seemed second best because it was different from the last two MB protests and has a natural amphitheater so amplification will be better." The group plans to march on Manhattan Beach Boulevard to Sepulveda Boulevard and back to the park. Pickard said the march will take place on the sidewalk. "Although it’s a tight space, it’s doable and it will definitely catch the attention of many people passing by," she noted.

"Yes, I am caucasian," she answered, "and by being white, I feel it is my duty to use my white privilege as a platform so that people of color can be heard and that justice is served to those who have been wronged by the broken system. Silence is violence, and it is so important that as a community, no matter your race, beliefs, or age, that we come together to fight for what’s right."

Pickard said she will continue to act to end racial prejudice even after tonight's event is over. "I will continue posting about ways to help support the Black Lives Matter movement on my social media platforms, and if school is in person next year, I will be reaching out to Dr. [Ben] Dale [MCHS principal] to organize an assembly to talk about ways to stop discrimination and bullying on campus and off."

Polliwog Park is located at 1601 Manhattan Beach Boulevard.