On June 9th, the Roxy Regional Theatre marquee that has been dark since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic was lit for eight minutes and forty-six seconds. The time signifying the amount of time a now removed police officer left his knee on George Floyd’s neck.
Community members, as well as Clarksville and Tennessee elected leaders, gathered comfortably distanced, in front of the historic Roxy and listened to speakers talk about black inequity and coming together. Speakers included the Executive Director of the Roxy Ryan Bowie, soon to be Clarksville Police Chief and current Deputy Chief of Operations David Crockarell, Montgomery County Trustee Kimberly Bond Wiggins, first lady of Clarksville Cynthia Haley Pitts and Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts.
Also giving a fiery speech was Juanita Charles who founded and is the director of TN Minority Business Alliance and Manifest Magic: Black Girl Cooperative and is also a member of the City of Clarksville Human Relations Commission. Charles reminded everyone to check on their black friends, who she explained are in mourning and first lady Pitts cried out for a change in hearts.
Mikquala Skelton closed out the event leading the crowd in singing “Amazing Grace”. The Roxy is set to reopen in September with “SEASON 38: DON’T DREAM IT – BE IT!” and the marquee currently reads “BE THE LIGHT, BE THE CHANGE”.
