UPDATED: April 24, 2019 at 6:23 p.m.

More than 100 residents and lawmakers marched across downtown Syracuse on Tuesday for Onondaga County’s first-ever “Stand Against Racism” Walk.

At the end of the march, Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh and Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon declared the week of April 22 to 26 as “Stand Against Racism Week.”

“This isn’t an ‘us and them’ issue,” McMahon said. “This is a ‘right and wrong’ issue.”

Marchers chanted “Hey-hey! Ho-ho! Racism has got to go!” as they approached City Hall on Tuesday afternoon. New York state Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul marched alongside residents wearing a blue t-shirt emblazoned with the walk’s “Stand Against Racism” logo.

“We are getting messages out of our nation’s capital that don’t reflect our American values or our New York state values,” Hochul said. “Because last I checked, the Statue of Liberty stands in our harbor.”

New York residents have a greater weight on their shoulders because welcoming people from around the world is in the state’s DNA, Hochul said. Her grandparents were immigrants, she said, and the United States is based on the immigrant American dream.

Hochul blasted President Donald Trump’s immigration policies and said the U.S. must do better. The anti-racism march is a way to “take back America,” Hochul said.

New York state Sen. Rachel May (D-Syracuse) was also in attendance and walked with the marchers.

The YWCA of Syracuse and Onondaga County organized the walk. YWCA has operated in Syracuse since 1885 and has aimed to empower women and to eliminate racism through community-based programs.

Syracuse University students helped plan the march alongside YWCA. The students, part of a community health promotion class through the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, said they helped with the march because they wanted to confront everyday racism and systemic injustice. They said they also want to stand up for others and become more involved in the community.

“This project has inspired us all to be the change,” Julia Foster, a freshman in Falk, said to the marchers. “And we are so happy that you all can be a part of it.”

CORRECTION: In a previous version of this post, New York state Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul was misquoted. Hochul said “the Statue of Liberty stands in our harbor.” The Daily Orange regrets this error. 

Published on April 23, 2019 at 10:10 pm

Contact Kennedy: krose100@syr.edu | @KennedyRose001