This speaker is sharing during the 3rd protest march on Beacon that happened on June 6, 2020. The march started at Pohill Park, wound all the way down Wolcott, taking a right toward the river, over the bridge above the train track, and ending at the land stage at Pete and Toshi Seeger Riverfront Park.

To bring this story out of the video and into words for more to access, A Little Beacon Blog has transcribed this story as best we can, as close to the spoken word as possible. To give you context, we indicate where different actions took place, like applause or movement. We highly encourage you to watch this spoken in the video, so that you can feel the moment and the words and remember it forever as it helps you make future decisions. You can listen and watch this story in our Instagram here.

BEGIN
Frantz Dumel
Uncle of one of the organizers, Stefon Seward.

Clap it up for the people who went before me. Clap it up for the gentlemen who just left the stage. Clap it up for the sister who talked before me, very powerful sister. Now my name is Franz Dumel (crowd source name spelling needed), I’m from neighboring Rockland County and I am so proud of my neighbors in Middletown, my neighbors in Beacon, my neighbors in Duchess County as a whole - you guys have made me proud. Clap it up for yourselves, please.

Now cameramen, cameramen, help me out here, because you guys prove them wrong. They said, “Frantz don’t waste your time going further north. The further north you go, the less they care about justice for all.”

Now if they were completely wrong, and if that isn’t true, say HELL NO (Crowd yells “Hell no!”).

If that wasn’t true say, Hell No! (Hell no!).)

Alright, so we’re gonna prove them wrong. Cameramen here, help me out. Everybody in here, we gonna, we gonna expose the true energy of Beacon to the world. Every sign out here up in the air for me, please. Stefon, one of the organizers. Can we crack it up for the organizers, you guys? Stefon, lead us in the chant so the world can see what Beacon is about.

(Crowd chants: “No Justice! No Peace! No Racist Police! Say His Name: George Floyd!”)

Beautiful, thank you guys. Now Beacon shouldn’t be no different from any other town or city in the world that won’t stand for a man being handcuffed, basically hog tied, suffocated, tortured. So his body was lifeless. If Beacon never stands for that say HELL NO (Hell no!).

As George was facing death, and death was approaching he called out for his mother. I read a post over the week that said, his mother was summoned, to all mothers in the nation. Now if you’re a mother that heard that loud and clear, say Hell Yeah! (Hell Yeah!).

Repeat after me.

I (I)

Heard you! (Heard you)

Justice (Justice)

Is coming! (Is coming!).

Now George Floyd’s mom was a single mother, which means she probably played the role of both father and mother and the community probably played the rest of the role as far as guidance is concerned. So together, as a community, mothers, fathers, repeat after me! I (I) Heard you! (Heard you!) Justice (Justice) Is coming (is Coming).

Now, if you watch the news, social media, they will make you think this is white vs, black. They’ll make you think this is police vs. the people. If that’s not the case, say Hell No! (Hell No!)

Now, if that notion is starting to seep into your conscious, don’t let it, my people. Do not let hate metastasize like cancer and spread before it’s too late. If you won’t let that happen, say Hell No! (Hell no!) This is not about the people vs. police, or white vs. black. This is good vs. evil, and I for one think the good people outnumber evil by far. Now, he called out and it seems like the whole world heard his call.

Now this is a story that keeps playing over and over again. But for some reason, there’s something different this time. Do you guys feel it? (Yes)

There’s something different about this time. Almost as if George Floyd’s life was a sacrifice for real change. George Floyd’s life was a sacrifice to galvanize the people good, white, and Black combined. To fight for justice. If that’s what you’re here for say Hell Yeah! (Hell Yeah!)

My people change is coming. And this is not about the people vs. police, because as much as they want you to believe that’s what it’s about, it’s not. And if nobody has said it lately, to our good officers, we love you. If nobody has said it recently to our good officers, we love you. Because they protect and serve us every day. But in the same token, we call on you to push evilness out of your precinct. To push evilness out of your stations. To push wickedness out of your circles. we call on you to expose the intentions of the wicked and push them to the people to face judgement.

I call on the community at large to also shape this, after this incident here, in moving forward, to shape America into a place where all inhabitants encourage each other to do better, and not seek to judge. Seek to understand, ‘cuz only then will you have the vision to see what’s goin’ on and what’s broken and how we can fix it. Only then will you have the vision to stand side by side, no matter the color, and stand up for justice.

No justice! (No Peace!).

Here’s a new one. More Justice, More Peace! More Justice (More Peace!). More Justice (More Peace!)

My people of Beacon, you guys have proved me wrong.

I also thought that, “I don’t know what I’m walking into but I’m going anyway.” And I’ve walked into the energy of love. I had an epiphany the other day where I came to realize the real power of God is in numbers. The Bible says where more than one are praying, the presence of God is there. I think the presence of God is definitely here. Clap it up for yourselves Beacon.

Now I’m also calling on my young protestors to protest peacefully. Because one of the things that’s being used, is that Martin Luther King said “Riots are the voice of the unheard.” Which is true, so we understand. We understand the anger. But after the anger subsides, it has to be organized. And Dr. Martin Luther King also said, let me read it for you guys, that, “Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate. Only Love can do that.” Power to the people! Power to love and harmony! And one more time, let’s talk to George directly, repeat after me:

I (I)

Heard You (Heard You!).

Justice (Justice)

Is Coming (Is Coming!)

Justice (Justice)

Is coming (Is Coming!)

Justice (Justice)

Is Here (is Here!)

Thank you, my people.