DALTON, Ga. - A group gathered Friday to speak out against a wave of hot-button racial killings.
But also, they gathered to speak inwardly.
Among themselves, after a march and series of speeches on the lawn of the Whitfield County Courthouse, some of the leaders reflected on the differences of their generations. Antoine Simmons, 42, the president of the local chapter of the NAACP, stood beside 21-year-old Tierra Hickey, who organized the protest as part of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Simmons said Hickey's generation might seem too radical to some. But, he added, critics said the same thing of black community organizers when he was Hickey's age - and when his parents were Hickey's age.
The only difference, said David Thomas, 52, is social media. Twitter and Facebook amplify the noise of the protests. Instagram makes it more vivid.
"I'm here to bridge the gap between millennials and generation X," said Simmons.
"I like their fire," said Thomas. "I like their tenacity. I like their awareness."
Hickey, who was born in Chattanooga but moved to Dalton three years ago, said she organized the march by creating a Facebook group last week. The Black Lives Matter movement began in 2013 and has received attention for organized protests in the wake of the killings of black people by police officers.
Earlier this month, two deaths sparked more protests throughout the country. On July 5, an officer shot and killed Alton Sterling, who had been selling CDs outside a Baton Rouge convenience store. The next day, an officer killed Philando Castile in his car in Minnesota. The officer pulled Castile over for a broken taillight, and Castile had told him he was armed and had a concealed carry permit.
Then, on July 7, a black Army veteran shot and killed five Dallas police officers in what had begun as a peaceful protest.
On Friday, Hickey gathered with about 50 other marchers outside Harmon Field in downtown Dalton. Many of them carried signs.
"If you think there's no problem," one sign read, "YOU are the problem."
"Sorry for the inconvenience," read another. "We are trying to change the world."
Hickey thanked the other protesters.
"If anyone comes and taunts us," she said, "let's try to keep our calm. Let's stay on our message. Our message is you can't fight fire with fire."
The march began around 4:30 p.m. and was short. From the football field, the group walked two blocks East on Crawford Street, chanting "Black Lives Matter!" and "No justice, no peace!" They ended at the courthouse, about 10 minutes after they began.
The Dalton Police Department escorted the marchers and blocked Thornton Avenue as the group crossed the street. Bruce Frazier, the spokesman for the department, said members of the command staff reached out to Hickey earlier this week after they heard about her Facebook event. They told her how to get the proper permits for the march and offered to provide the escort.
Across from the protesters, on the corner of Crawford and Pentz streets, Bethany Wilson stood with three signs: One in her hands, one on her chest and one on her back - the latter two held together by blue plastic ties. Her signs urged people to thank the police for their protection.
Wilson, 19, said she came to Friday's event because she believes Black Lives Matters protests indirectly undercut the high-quality work of some police officers.
Hickey, meanwhile, told the audience Friday, "I'm just sick of these police officers that are undercover racists or undercover prejudiced getting away with taking innocent lives. I want convictions."
The crowd cheered.
Contact Staff Writer Tyler Jett at 423-757-6476 or tjett@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @LetsJett.