Marrinan ’20 Organizes Black Lives Matter Rally

Bryan Geary and Tenley Rooney

While Cecilia Marrinan ’20 could have been celebrating her graduation from St. Paul’s School, she grappled with another issue. Just days earlier, the death of George Floyd, a black man killed during an arrest by police in Minneapolis, Minn., sparked nationwide protests, bringing issues of equity, inclusion, police brutality, and systemic racism to the forefront of the country’s consciousness. Marrinan found herself asking what she could do to contribute to the Black Lives Matter movement.

“Although signing petitions and donating does make a tangible difference,” Marrinan says, “I felt that my efforts were not sufficient to reach my full potential of activism. I knew I could do more, so I decided to act on it.” In her hometown of Skaneateles, N.Y., Marrinan called the town’s police chief on June 1. At her request, the Police Department agreed to support a peaceful protest in solidarity with Black Lives Matter. Days later, Marrinan and a group of childhood friends came together to form Skaneateles for Social Justice. On June 14, their vision became a reality, as the group led 1,000 peaceful protestors in a march. Marrinan’s hometown is a picturesque community that sits on the shores of one of New York State’s famed Finger Lakes. According to town demographics, 97.9 percent of residents identify as white, and English is the only language spoken. During her time in Skaneateles schools, Marrinan was one of the only students of color and frequently encountered ignorance and racism. Speaking to the community after the march concluded, she channeled those experiences into a message about the importance of a collective initiative.

“It’s important to have all communities engaged in lifting black voices,” says Marrinan. She spoke about her Uncle Alvin, who marched alongside Martin Luther King, Jr. in the 1960s and about her grandfather, who grew up in Louisiana with the weight of Jim Crow laws on his shoulders. “I’m continuing their fight,” says Marrinan. “We have acknowledged that racism is a beast that still breathes fire into the heart of the United States. Our country is on fire and we must work collectively with all races in order to extinguish the flames.”

Marrinan also looked on as speaker Judy Bryant explained to the crowd that she was Harriet Tubman’s great-great-grandniece and that her father had built the gazebo at which they were gathered. “She said her father would be proud of the event,” says Marrinan. “Her family was the only black family in Skaneateles in the 1950s. When she left the stage, there was raw emotion throughout the crowd.” Since the march, Skaneateles for Social Justice has reached out to the town’s school board and hopes to achieve policy changes and reform. Set to study international relations at Brown University, Marrinan stresses that now is also a pivotal time for St. Paul’s School to listen to and learn from black voices.

“I was happy to hear that the SPS Board of Trustees released a statement of policy changes in order to make the campus more inclusive,” she says. “The BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) community has been voicing our experiences for years and it came to light with the new BlackatSPS Instagram account. This was eye-opening for many members of the community. The St. Paul’s Board of Trustees made an important first step, but it shouldn’t be the last.”