Camden artists, youth spearhead the conversation for city change, including police demands
CAMDEN, N.J. — On Sunday, more than 500 residents marched to the Chief J. Scott Thompson Camden County Police Administration Building, joining the conversation that many across the country are currently having: what it means to be Black in America and the effects of police brutality.
“I’m here for the issues, and there are issues that need to be addressed,” Ayinde Merrill, 25, one of the organizers of Sunday’s event, said. “Camden County Metro Police say that they’re doing such a wonderful job. Well, if you are, then do even better.”
The event, Camden Arts for Change, centered on live demonstrations by performance artists, which began at Wiggins Park, led to City Hall and ended at the Chief J. Scott Thompson Camden County Police Administration Building, where organizers read a list of demands with the chief of police Joseph D. Wysocki present.
Some of the demands on the list call for a police force that reflects the demographics of Camden residents and more opportunities for residents to have a say in how their community is policed.
According to Census estimates from 2019, Camden’s Black or African American residents make up 42.4% of the city’s population, and Hispanic or Latinx residents make up 50.3%. Residents claim that the police force does not look like the majority of its residents, or live in the city.
Event organizers, Ayinde Merrill and Reet Taylor, also shared disapproval of the outcome of a previous protest, held just a week prior. In a press release, the organizers said the event had been “appropriated for a feel-good media moment between protestors and officers.”
This moment was covered by major news outlets, like the Philly Inquirer, and even gained the attention of former president Barack Obama, who last visited the city in 2015.
Merrill said that the person responsible for putting together the protest was well-intentioned, but that he wished more Camden residents had the opportunity to voice their concerns.
“The city people did not have the chance to voice their frustrations, and the optics of it was weird, in a way,” Merrill said about the protest held on May 30th. “There were ice cream trucks giving out free ice cream…and it was like, we’re very angry. We don’t want ice cream; we want our voices to be heard.”
Taylor, 26, of Pennsauken, agreed.
“If Camden is gonna go viral, it should be represented by the actual people of the city,” he said.
Both organizers expressed art as a way for many residents to evoke change within their communities, which led to the decision of Camden Arts for Change being an artists’ demonstration instead of billed as another protest.
“Art is very important and necessary for change,” Merrill said. “If you look through history, look at James Brown. He did ‘Say It Loud — I’m Black and I’m Proud’; And that sparks a whole new consciousness in Black people and the pride in Black people. It was an anthem for so much.”
All across the world, artists are using their skills for awareness, the duo said.
One of those artists, Haneesha Smith, 21, of Camden, served as the chant leader and led the large group of attendees down to City Hall, where she, along with three other artists, performed moving pieces centered on Black expression, pain and even some joy.
“I just want to make people feel good,” Smith, known by her stage name Sol ChYld, said. “I’m here to bring the energy.”
And that, she did, as the crowd made its way to Federal Street chanting “Black Lives Matter!”
Merrill, who served as one of the main speakers of the event, also made an artistic and political statement that moved the crowd. Merrill marched the streets of Camden wearing a noose around his neck, which he took off near the event’s conclusion.
“You don’t need lynch mobs anymore to kill a Black man,” he said. “There are institutions now.”
From that point, community leaders were put on notice, according to Merrill. “We will replace you,” he said.
In addition to the large turnout, about 90 volunteers responded to the call for action, which included healers who provided emotional support. Veronica Torrens-Mouriño, 24, a rising senior at Rutgers — Camden, was one of those healers.
“Enough is enough,” Torrens-Mouriño said, on why she decided to offer art therapy services at the demonstration. “My hometown in Puerto Rico is going through a lot. So, I understand.”
At the event, attendees were also able to register to vote before the June 16th New Jersey registration deadline, as well as fill out the 2020 Census.
Chief of Police, Joseph D. Wysocki said that he was very proud of how the day went and how many youths he saw come out. He also expressed his willingness to work on the listed demands.
“There is nothing on here that I disagree with,” Wysocki said. “We’re partners with this community. We have to listen to the community.”