A nighttime view of the I Am A Man plaza outside of Clayborn Temple, near Downtown Memphis. ZIggy Mack
Charles Sims and Jerrell Powe are hosting a march for unity and peace on Saturday, June 27, 2020.
It will begin at 2 p.m. at the I Am A Man Plaza, move to the Civil Rights Museum, and conclude back at the I Am A Man Plaza
Sims is an Iraq war veteran and the great great great grandson of Mississippi Confederate General James Z. George. Powe is a former NFL football player and Ole Miss alum.
“I want to pass along this message as a call to action to realize a part of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s dream,” said Sims. “After seeing the murder of George Floyd, God planted a seed in my heart to start a movement toward love and unity."
As the descendant of a Confederate General, Sims believes that he has a unique position and responsibility to speak out against racial oppression and lift a message of unification.
“The heart of this nation must be restored. People of opposing sides must come together,” he continued.
Sims and Powe are part of the Dream 2020 Group. The group consists of military veterans who fought during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as political and community leaders and current and former NFL Players.
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Cole Bradley is a native Memphian and graduate of the University of Memphis. Cole's worked locally as a researcher and community engagement strategist and began contributing to High Ground in Jan 2017.