“I am here to speak tonight for all the people that are afraid to speak because of what the town of Faith represents. ” Jennifer Burroff-Smith at the Faith Town Hall meeting on October 11, 2022.

I am here to speak tonight for all the people that are afraid to speak because of what the town of Faith represents.

According to the Census report, there are 1,053 people living in Faith, with 97 percent of those individuals identifying as white. You have 31 people that do not identify as white living in your town. NC SCV Commander Kevin Stone stated in his letter that “the people of the South are known as the most welcoming, tolerant, and friendly people on earth.”

I beg to differ. You see, I was the mother that pulled her two Black daughters off the sidewalk when the stampede of Rebel flags came through at the Faith parade. I was the wife that saw the discomfort and defeat in my husband’s eyes. I was the friend who saw the look of fear and dread as the cannons shot over the crowd.

The town of Faith hosts this parade and you must know that people of color surrounding Faith feel threatened and unsafe. Are you embarrassed or proud of the historical trauma that Faith has been a part of for so many decades?

The flag that you allow the Sons of Confederates, Rowan Rifles and that intimidating motorcycle gang to flaunt in your parade represent genocide, slavery and oppression.

Yes, I understand the First Amendment right. I also understand that you as town officials can pick and choose who you allow to be in the parade, even if you must rewrite your bylaws.

I will show up each month to the Faith Town Hall meetings until change is solidified because silence is an endorsement of racism. I will not stay silent.

Jennifer Burroff-Smith