The Beloit community is coming together again Friday evening for a public show of support against racism.

Organizer Ashley Staver wants it to be a safe place for the community to come together and share their experiences with racism.

Participants will gather at Riverside Park at 5:00 p.m. and fill the lawn with signs for Black Lives Matter and racial justice.

They will then hold a candlelight vigil to honor the Black men, women and children who have been killed by police, most recently George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery.

“The only way things are going to change is if we stick to it, stay consistent, stay dedicated and keep going,” Staver said. “This needs to become a lifestyle where we’re consistently denouncing racism, consistently shutting it down, not allowing people to be disrespectful to someone just based off of the color of their skin.”

Staver hopes the community will come with open hearts and open minds, ready to listen, learn and support their Black neighbors.

She sees it not as a protest but as a forum for the community to heal and grow together in the face of racial injustice locally and nationwide.

Organizers ask attendees to wear masks and maintain physical distance to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.