They say that a journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step. For Lavish Mack, who is in the midst of a 730-mile walk from Minneapolis to Louisville, he hopes that every step he takes brings him not just one step closer to his physical destination, but towards his ultimate goal of amplifying the voices of those who have been victimized by police brutality.
Late last month, Mack began the more than 700 mile journey from Minneapolis to Louisville, two hotbeds of tension after the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor at the hands of police. Mack’s goal with the walk is to raise awareness of not only the deaths of Floyd and Taylor, but to bring change and police accountability when deadly encounters occur. According to the GoFundMe page for his walk, roughly 98.3 percent of police officers aren’t charged with a crime after killing someone. He says the system that is supposed to protect the public only ends up serving the police.
“1,007 people were murdered by police last year…how many do you know about,” said Mack. “No matter how much pain I go through walking, it will never amount to the pain these people feel and live with every day when their mother, father, sister or brother is murdered by the police.”
A Journey For Justice
Mack isn’t just walking, he’s also stopping in communities along the way to talk with families who have been affected by police brutality and deadly force. He’s is stopping in places like Madison, Kenosha and Indianapolis among others to help raise awareness and create real change.
The journey has already proven to be physically daunting, as Mack provided an update on his GoFundMe page showing him receiving medical treatment on his right foot.
Donations to the cause will help provide essentials along the way, including for things like food and lodging accommodations. He has already raised more than $2,300, and he’s noted that any remaining proceeds will be donated to Justice Squad, an organization led by Black women who have lost loved ones to police in the state of Minnesota.
