The brisk, chilling temperature on January 20^th did not stop the “Move the Monument” protest from congregating. Significantly, the protest occurred on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, with a march around the square transforming into a procession towards Macedonia Baptist Church for a service in honor of the famous civil rights activist and fervent supporter of racial justice.

Southwestern University’s Chaplain Dr. Ron Swain, alongside Keith Hutchinson and Jason Norwood (both of whom are Georgetown residents) are all key leaders and programmers for the Move the Monument organization in Georgetown, TX, a rally protesting the Confederate statue on the south side of the courthouse.

At 11:30am, four Georgetown high school cadets in full uniform led the protestors on the sidewalk by the courthouse. Jason Norwood led the rallying cry in the first march around the square: “Move the Monument / When do we move it? Now!” A second march around the square included a chant of few but powerful words, taken from a sign of one of the marcher’s: “Love, not hate.” At least thirty people gathered for the march, with a few onlookers on the corners of the square, including a Fox 7 News team, which interviewed a few of the protestors.  

While Georgetown residents marched, the repetition of the chants only grew louder as the structure of the square served as an echo chamber for a strong yet simple demand: remove the Confederate monument that serves as a reminder of the efforts of an infantry in 1861 who aided the succeeding Confederacy. The inscription on the monument reads: “In memory of the confederate soldiers and sailors. Erected under the auspices of the U.D.C. of Williamson County, 1916.” Fox 7 News reports that: “The monument was dedicated to county residents who fought against the United States during the Civil War. It was erected in 1916 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy.” However, many feel that commemorating the Confederacy does not reflect Georgetown values, and represents the racism of the time that does not deserve to be memorialized. 

A second march held in honor of Martin Luther King Jr., began at noon, starting in the same place. Jason Norwood began with a prayer for the protestors and in honor of Martin Luther King Jr., asking for a “hedge of protection around us as we march, just as he marched,” and the ability to “be pillars in our community to stand for what he stood for.” The crowd of thirty transformed into at least fifty in a heartbeat, as footsteps pounded down the concrete sidewalk and into the street itself. The Georgetown Police Department led the crowd down 7^th Street for the protection of the marchers, away from the courthouse with a right turn on MLK Street just past Georgetown library.

Voices rang out in the street just as they did in the square, as the people began singing. Dr. Ron Swain stood amongst the middle of the crowd, leading the song “We Shall Overcome,” each verse changing as more street blocks passed by: “Deep in my heart I do believe, we shall overcome / We are not afraid, we shall overcome / We shall walk in peace, we shall overcome someday.”

Upon arriving at Macedonia Baptist Church, there was a small amount of time for the marchers and more arriving churchgoers to settle in their pews, warm up, and catch up with each other as scarves and gloves came off. J’Lisa Chambers ’28, an SU student in attendance of the rally, reflected on being interviewed by the Fox News team on the square and the march as a whole: “It was kind of scary for second talking to the News, but it felt like it was a good chance to speak publicly about what the holiday really meant to me.” She continued on, saying: “I’ve never been in protest before, so it’s easy to look in from the outside and make judgments, but they put a lot of work into this. It takes a lot of courage.” She concluded by affirming: “I’m in it for the long run.”

Reverend Dr. Alan Benson took to the raised pulpit in the church, live players striking up a lively and joyous tune for worship as he asked the congregation: “Let’s start with a little unity in the house!” Following the short worship, a prayer was led by Reverend Cheryl Wilson: “We thank you for unity in the community, and we thank you for love that goes from breast to breast, heart to heart.” Rev. Dr. Jeff Smith rose to the pulpit next, reflecting on Martin Luther King Jr.’s civil rights work, and his famous “I have a dream” speech: “A member of the crowd shouting out to him ‘tell them about the dream’ is what wrote the dream into MLK’s speech. He was a man who dreamed of a more perfect unity.” Rev. Dr. Smith called on the congregation and reminded them: “Do not let out present circumstances and the things that threaten to divide us separate us from the dream that we share.”

A moment of silence for personal reflection and devotion was taken, before the assembly began to sing “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing.” It was within this moment of silence before the band began to play, that anyone with a news app would get a notification that in Washington D.C., sworn in just after noon, Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States. For the attendees of the protest, this was a contrast many would find sobering. The moment of silence in reverence for Martin Luther King’s work may have morphed into thoughts directed towards the American nation and its future path.

Next, Ms. Regina B. Durden, a member of the church, introduced the guest speaker at the event, Ms. Sonja Cousar, who was described as “dedicated to empowering the lives of others,” and committed to increasing the accessibility and effectiveness of mental health resources. Ms. Cousar described her experience with ADHD as a child, receiving labels such as “lazy” when that was not true in the slightest. Being a new mom was not without its struggles either, and she also noted it has been a jarring experience to watch her parents age as more years go by. Despite life’s struggles, Ms. Cousar called on the congregation to remember that “you are worthy of love and respect,” and it was important to her on Martin Luther King Jr. Day to remind everyone that “your struggles do not define you.”

Mr. Tyrone Adams, the program chairperson, presented an award to Ms. Cousar as the guest speaker for her involvement in the march program, and for her service to the community. Alan Benson read aloud one of Martin Luther King Jr.’s remarks: “If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” 

Finally, Miss Rylie Thomas, a young elementary school student, rose from her seat and stood before the pulpit to leave the congregation with one last message: “Anybody can be great, because anybody can serve. You only need a heart full of grace and a soul generated by love.” For the residents of Georgetown in attendance of the service, the remembrance was just as much political as it was religious, spirited and vibrant in both aspects.