Sisters, organizations, and neighbors stand in solidarity during prayer pilgrimage against racism and in support of Black Lives Matter

Photos: Virginia Interspiritual Empowerment Project, South Hampton Roads.
In the center photo is Sr. Margaret McCabe, DW, holding the green sign, and Sr. Grace Malonzo, DW is to her right.
In the photo on the right, Paula Hughes is pictured wearing a “Thanks” shirt.

They gathered on the front lawn of the offended. The call, put out by the Catholics and Friends for Black Lives Matter of Virginia Beach, VA, was answered by the local peace and justice community. Sr. Margaret McCabe, DW, a Tidewater Sowers of Justice member, and Sr. Grace Malonzo, DW, were among them. The call for solidarity came in response to the backlash a woman in the neighborhood got from another neighbor because of a sign in the front window of her home. The sign reading, " Yes! B-L-M," had been there for nearly a year before she got an anonymous, mean-spirited letter in the mail asking her to take it down. 

The woman, Paula Hughes, 75, a 40-year resident of the neighborhood, is one of the original members of the Tidewater Sowers of Justice. For over twenty years, she's been advocating for social justice in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. The group has grown and spiraled to include 15 working community groups that address racism, non-violence, poverty, ecology, health, and women's issues, to name a few. Paula can't march anymore, so hanging those three letters in her window was her way of showing support for the BLM movement.  

Then came the letter, which read, "Please take down your bright pink sign in your picture window. At this point we ALL know you are a lover of BLM. It is obvious you are neglecting your yard with overgrown bushes and trees. If your intention is to bring down your street by making your yard ghetto, you have succeeded. I am writing this on behalf of your neighbors. It would serve you well to educate yourself on BLM. God bless you. You are in our prayers."

In response to the letter, Paula Hughes made another sign; this time, it was an enlargement of the anonymous letter. She then put the sign out on her lawn.

Then came the people, who at first were thought to be writing graffiti on her sign, but then found to have written words of support instead. And then, on October 22, 2021, Catholics and Friends for Black Lives Matter and neighbors made a pilgrimage to her front lawn. They shared who they were and why they were there. They prayed together and shared information and awareness about the BLM movement.

And, on this day, Paula had Autumn leaves decorating the BLM letters in her window, a Fall theme added during a recent visit by her grandchildren.