Suburban race reckoning continues with events in Canfield and Poland

YOUNGSTOWN — Communities' reckoning with racism in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd continues Sunday with a pair of events in Canfield and Poland.

Floyd, a Black man, died on Memorial Day in police custody after a police officer knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes. In the nearly two months since, communities across the country have started asking the question: Could this have happened here?

On Sunday, a Black Lives Matter rally will take place in Canfield at 11 a.m. while Poland United Methodist Church will host an event titled "Stories of Racism in the Valley" at 5 p.m.

Both Canfield and Poland have enduring reputations when it comes to racial issues. People of color have said they fear becoming police targets when driving through those communities.

Canfield's reputation was acknowledged — for perhaps the first time publicly — at an event July 9, where about 50 residents met at Fair Park to discuss "Diversity, Policing and Progress."

During the forum, Canfield residents, Sojourn to the Past participants and an organization calling themselves the Mahoning County Patriots — a group of white men wearing American flag shirts, some with guns affixed to their belts — discussed racism in Canfield and debated whether the community is welcoming to people of color.

Sunday's event will take place at 11 a.m. at the Village Green. It follows a similar event that occurred on Father's Day. While peaceful, the Father's Day marchers were met with some antagonizers.

At the July 9 forum, Canfield resident Sally Ifill described her experience at the march.

"They really revved their big trucks and swore at us," she said, describing her group as a "bunch of educators and librarians and yoga instructors" who were subjected to "the finger."

Ifill added, "It wasn't warm and fuzzy."

Poland's Sunday event was organized by United Methodist Church Pastor Ken Gifford and the Mahoning Valley Association of Churches. It will take place outside the church, 1940 Boardman Poland Road, with masks and social distancing

"It's to promote dialogue," said MVAC Executive Director Dr. Tom Sauline "This is an opportunity to raise awareness about racism in the Valley."

The event which starts at 5 p.m. will feature multiple speakers and voter registration.

This story was originally published July 21, 2020 at 4:11 AM with the headline "Suburban race reckoning continues with events in Canfield and Poland."