Every Saturday since April, Solidarity with Packing Plant Workers holds a car parade in Grand Island, Nebraska for raising awareness on the sacrifice of essential workers but June 27, 2020, was a little different than the rest of the parades. They were joined by other activist groups to support cause of one other.
Solidarity with Packing Plant Workers, Central Nebraska Peace Workers, PFLAG and the Justice Coalition took place at the parking lot of 1st and Walnut in Grand Island for a car parade at 2:15 p.m. First they decorated their vehicles with their cause, some said black lives matter, black queer lives matter, solidarity for meat-packers.
“We’re decorating the cars right now and then we’re going to have a couple of people speak say why they’re here and then around 3:00, we’re going to be driving, there’s a course that we’re going to be driving around,” stated Danielle Rainbolt, president of Grand Island PFLAG.
It was all because of PFLAG, an LGBTQ+ support group that came up with the idea. Since Pride was canceled because of COVID-19 coronavirus, they wanted to celebrate not just them but every group who is persecuted for their identity.
“We just kind of brought it all together because we just really want to see all these things happen and unite so we have a louder voice,” stated Rainbolt.
They reached out to Yolanda Nuncio, the organizer for Solidarity Saturdays to arrange the event and she thought it was a great idea to involve everyone. “By having people from other organizations, we’re sharing and showing that we are one community,” said Nuncio.
Once the vehicles were decorated, the groups started the parade and drove in the city.
