Saturday rally in support of Trayvon Martin, killed in Fla., attendees asked to wear ‘hoodies’
By Jamie Richard, Staff Writer, CoatesvilleTimes.com
Those attending Saturday's rally in honor of Trayvan Martin are asked to wear hoodies.
COATESVILLE – The Coatesville City Council unanimously voted to approve a request to hold a rally in honor of a slain Florida teen this Saturday.
The Reverend Floyd Narcisse, senior pastor of the Bethel AME Church in Coatesville, came before the council to request permission to hold a rally in honor of Trayvon Martin. Martin, a 17-year-old high school student, was shot and killed by a neighborhood watch volunteer in Sanford, Fla. last month, the circumstances of which have sparked nationwide controversy and debate. According to Narcisse, the rally will feature poetry and several guest speakers in order to raise community awareness in Coatesville.
“We should have a rally here in Coatesville. I truly believe that the city of Coatesville needs this to be aware of what’s going on, not just nation-wide in Florida, but what’s going on here in Coatesville,” said Narcisse.
After receiving assurance from Narcisse that the rally would not interfere with the city Easter Egg Hunt also being held that day, the council approved Narcisse’s request and waived the 30-day advance period needed to schedule an event.
The rally is scheduled for Mar. 31 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and will be held outside at the corner of 1st Ave. and Lincoln Ave. Attendees are encouraged to wear hooded sweatshirts in honor of Martin.
Other business featured the discussion of beautification projects for downtown Coatesville. While the council has remained positive about the progress made thus far, several members felt that more could be done to improve the area.
“We need to do something swiftly to improve our downtown,” said council member C. Arvilla Hunt.
The council discussed the possibility of repainting several buildings in the downtown area in order to achieve a more unified color palette and aesthetic for the area. Council member David Collins, however, reminded the council that they must meet with property owners before making any definitive plans.
“You can’t just go in and arbitrarily paint somebody’s building,” said Collins.
The city council will hold their next meeting on Apr. 9.
