Black Lives Matter supporters rally in Greene County

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Some 25 Black Lives Matter supporters rallied at noon Tuesday on the east side of the Greene County Courthouse.

Organizer Dale Hanaman of rural Rippey said it was the group’s fifth meeting since the May 25 murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Hanaman opened the event with a few words of welcome and encouragement, and he read a passage from his copy of former U.N. Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold’s 1963 classic “Markings,” a book Hanaman said he received new as a college senior and has always kept at his side.

“Never look down to test the ground before taking your next step,” Hanaman read. “Only he who keeps his eye fixed on the far horizon will find the right road.”

Before beginning their weekly pilgrimage, bearing signs in a circuit around the courthouse, Hanaman introduced three Democratic candidates for state and local offices, and each briefly addressed the gathering.

Cindy Opedal Paschen of Ames, who won the June primary election and will face Republican Jesse Green in the race for retiring 24th District Iowa State Sen. Jerry Behn’s seat.

Two candidates for the Greene County Board of Supervisors, Chris Henning of rural Jefferson in district 4 and Ginny Tonsi Showman in district 5, spoke about the importance of the Black Lives Movement and lamented the ignorance and ill will that have sometimes met their efforts to publicize the weekly event on social media.

“Change is coming,” said longtime champion of racial justice Chuck Offenburger, “and everybody needs to be part of it.”

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