Gathered on the street corner for the second weekend of protests, alongside approximately 200 other demonstrators, was the Mound family.
With three grandsons growing up in Saugus, grandmother Monica Jennings said it was important for them to know what protesting racism was about, and how to go about it.
“I was just called a (N-word) two months ago, and I was called a (N-word) for no reason at all,” said Jennings. “My grandkids shouldn’t have to go through this. No kids, no new generation should have to go through this.”
Her grandsons, who stood alongside their family at the corner of Valencia Boulevard and McBean Parkway on Saturday, said they learned about racism from their parents and in school, from the slavery era to Abraham Lincoln to the Civil Rights movement. But they said it persists.
“Abraham Lincoln abolished slavery, but racism still goes on in this world today,” said CJ Mound, Jennings’ 14-year-old grandson. “We’re doing this to end police brutality and to end racism.”
Standing next to his older brother, who’s one grade up from him at Arroyo Seco Junior High School, was Jayden Mound, 13, who agreed with his brother.
“What I’m doing here today is protesting for all the black people,” said Mound. “I’m mixed, and I’m black and I’m white, but the racism needs to stop now because it’s not right just because black people are darker than white people.”
For Jayden and his brother, they said Black Lives Matter meant ending racism now. As they returned to protesting, their white father put their little brother Kai, 6, on his shoulders.
“We see what’s happening in this country, we know the history with America and slavery, the treatment of African Americans, not only African Americans, but all people of color, and racism needs to end,” said Tracy Mound, the boys’ black mom. “I’m just so happy to see the old, young, white, black, Hispanic, Asian, everybody’s out for the same cause. Let’s do it, let’s move forward.”
Across the street, walking by the Corner Bakery to take a seat on a bench after standing out on the street, was Nadia Gothberg, a Santa Clarita elementary school white student, who was there with her little brother London and their dad, Leif.
She said although she was white, and the protest was a little scary with the loud honking horns, the need to raise awareness made it important.
“They’re out there to support the black people,” said Gothberg, in regard to the protesters. “So that the black people don’t feel alone and feel like we’re all there.”
“We need to support the movement,” said Leif Berg, Nadia’s dad. “It’s also important to experience a little taste of the discomfort that a lot of people are dealing with.”
Cosette Hauer, a 13-year-old white girl from Castaic, said she came out with her mom to show that she thought it wrong to treat people differently based on their skin color.
“Treating someone differently because of their skin color, like treating someone differently because of their eye color, is wrong, it’s not fair,” said Hauer. “I would like to change that in my generation.”
“That’s why we bring them out here, that’s what we need to do,” said Jennings, in reference to her own grandchildren. “So if they ever have to come to the point where they have to protest, they will know how to do it.”
On Saturday, the protests began for the third day in a row this week late in the morning. Nearly 250 protesters held signs that read “Black Lives Matter” and had images of George Floyd, the man who was killed by police while detained in Minneapolis on Memorial Day.
Once again, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies stood by while the peaceful demonstration went on. The National Guard, which had been called in by the Santa Clarita City Council earlier this week, was also on guard.
The National Guard is expected to remain in Santa Clarita through the weekend.
