Men, women, and children marched together with organizer Anthony Brown Davis on Sunday afternoon.

“The reason why I wanted to do this protest to address the young people,” said Davis. “I want to reiterate to them racism is not cool and it’s not the new norm.”

Attendees also called for an end to police brutality and racism which, Davis says, so many Black and Brown families are faced with. Jonathan and his partner Casey fight against racism now, hoping their son won’t have to do it later.

“Every day, if I get pulled over, I feel like I’m a target; I don’t want my son to be in the same exact situation as me,” said Jonathan.

“I think the point we are at in history right now, there’s more of a chance than there’s ever been, and that’s extremely encouraging,” added his partner Casey.

Jonathan moved from Baltimore to Troy and he says the problems that plague larger cities when it comes to police forces are the same problems he’s experienced in Albany. He says police departments should either hire more people of color or re-direct state funding to where people of color live.

“How are you supposed to have people here to assist the community, but they don’t know anything about the community they are trying to assist?” said Jonathan.

Both acknowledged social justice will depend on the momentum of these movements.

“People are not going to stop; people are not going to give up until there’s change,” said Casey.