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The Syracuse chapter of the National Action Network held a rally Tuesday afternoon in response to mayoral candidate Tim Rudd’s recent racist comments against Deputy Mayor Sharon Owens.
The rally, held at the Jerry Rescue Monument downtown, denounced racism and misogyny within Syracuse politics.

Rudd, former budget director for Mayor Ben Walsh, was fired from his job on Monday after releasing a two-hour phone call recording between himself and Syracuse landlord Norman Roth in which he made several racist remarks about Owens and her role in Walsh’s government, syracuse.com reported. He had previously been on paid administrative leave.

The monument where the rally was held commemorates the Jerry Rescue of 1851, where William “Jerry” Henry, an enslaved man, was captured in Syracuse under the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850. Henry was later freed by local abolitionists who helped him escape north via the Underground Railroad.

Twiggy Billue, a rally organizer and board member of the Syracuse City School District, connected the rally to the statue’s history, noting a similar need for strong community and resistance to hate in the United States today.

“Sometimes there has to be some secret meetings, some secret planning, some events, some rallies that happen, or else Jerry would not be free,” Billue said. “It takes all of us, not just some of us. Look around and see the diversity in this group, because if it wasn’t for that diverse group of people working together, Jerry would not be free.”

Throughout the demonstration, the crowd of over 50 people cheered and carried signs calling for an end to racism in Syracuse government. The demonstration also included seven speakers, and NAN President Bishop H. Bernard Alex read aloud an open letter authored by Jimmy Monto, common councilor for the city’s 5th district.

Bernard led the group in chanting “No justice, no peace,” a phrase heard throughout demonstrations since the American Civil Rights Movement. He discussed NAN’s dedication to fighting racism and all forms of inequality, emphasizing the need for the local community to work together in the face of adversity.

“We’re better together,” Alex said “And if we keep that mindset, if we work towards that end, it is so encouraging to me to look and to see this panacea, people of people of all races, color, creeds, genders, commitments of love and action, saying that racism is not going to be tolerated.”

Avery Magee | Asst. Photo Editor

Protestors carried signs calling to an end to racism within Syracuse’s government. The crowd of over 50 people joined NAN to denounce Rudd’s comments.

Each speaker emphasized the importance of standing together. Reverend Phil Turner of Bethany Baptist Church talked about the need to speak up and the danger of staying silent. He said silence can enable racism and threaten the progress that must continue.

“(Owens) can fight for herself, yes, but we won’t let her,” Turner said. “She can stand for herself, but she doesn’t have to stand alone.”

Many in the crowd were outspoken as they participated in chants and cheers to support the speakers. Syracuse resident Lashonda Sullivan said she was outraged by the comments against Owens and wants to see an apology.

“Racism is not tolerated, nowhere in any room in Syracuse, anywhere across the world, and for that, we will stand together,” Sullivan said.

Other attendees and speakers were unsatisfied with the silence of other community members. Speaker Rickey Brown, a Syracuse University alum, called out mayoral candidates Jimmy Oliver and Pat Hogan for not condemning Rudd’s words, calling their silence unacceptable. Oliver is the Syracuse Police Department’s community engagement director and Hogan is the 2nd district common councilor.

Brown said unethical political discourse shouldn’t be allowed in the Syracuse community and warned of recent repercussions from repeated racist language directed toward politicians, referencing backlash to racist comments made by President Donald Trump about former Vice President Kamala Harris.

Billue encouraged demonstrators to get involved with NAN and contribute to Owens’ mayoral campaign. She called on the crowd to keep fighting against racism and inequality in Syracuse and continue being active in the community.

“This has nothing to do with politics,” Brown said. “This has to do with the attack on our foundation of our Black leaders, and we will not accept it.”

Published on February 12, 2025 at 12:30 am

Contact Sydney: sadepiet@syr.edu