TEXARKANA, Texas-The Greater Texarkana Branch of the NAACP's rally on Friday sparkled with themes of hope, identity and purpose as it radiated ideas of prosperity, advancement and opportunity for all races.
Dozens of local and area residents gathered at the House of Refuge parking lot on West Sixth Street in Texarkana, Texas to soak in the inspiration delivered by several of the event's speakers.
"We are here at this gathering to try to change our frame of mind away from just talking about problems, because we now need to start addressing problems and taking action," said local NAACP president Robert Jones.
Andres Johnson, with the U.S. Census Bureau, told the audience that one of the best ways for different groups of people to make themselves known and accounted for is to respond to the 2020 Census.
"The country needs to know how representative our different populations are and that can't be done if you aren't counted,"she said. "What you do to make sure you are counted will affect your communities for at least the next 10 years."
Margaret Mutoke, a local high school senior, emphasized the need to vote.
"It hurts me as a young woman and my heart is broken because if we want things to change, we need to start voting,"she said.
"That is the best way we have to determine our destiny."
Dandre Harris, with the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, offered a more poetic way of looking at today's challenges.
"What we face now in society is a violent pandemic just like the flu - and we've got to stop standing around and saying 'What are we going to do.'" he said
Alana Rhone, with the local U.S. Department of Agriculture, asked the audience - "Where do we go from here,?" - referring to the recent violence in the country.
"I'm seeing my people, of my color, getting beat up for just minding their own business. Black Lives Matter in education, Black Lives Matter in health, Black Lives Matter in criminal justice and Black Lives Matter in the community."
Robert Lawson of Taylor Ark., spoke about economic empowerment being slowed by "states rights" legislation.
"In order to move forward, we need to know where we've come from," he said. "When the Civil War ended, there were nine states that locked up former slaves just for being homeless. After World War II many black servicemen weren't able to receive their G.I Bill benefits because of Jim Crow Laws still existing in the South.
Local Pastor Johnny Riley re-addressed the importance of voting.
"My great grandparents were tortured because they wanted to vote," he said. "We must register to vote if we want to engage our society. If you want something done, you must come together and I challenge you to come together and make your own economic engine. If we don't come together, our children will continue to suffer."