Chester United presents A Call to Action on July 11

Steven Pierce Fuller (graduate Chester Academy, living in Middletown) heads the Chester United Call to Action, a peaceful meetup and march to be held on Saturday, July 11, beginning at 3 p.m. at Erie Station on the Heritage Trail.

He and more than 100 Chester alumni from the classes of 2007 through 2022 are organizing the event. Fuller said the police will be on hand. He told The Chronicle the time for action is now. He said action, coupled with education and networking, will lead to achieving the goals of justice, equality and unity.

“We want to encourage people to ‘be the change’ and its starts with informing ourselves - there’s a lot to learn, but education is the only way up,” Fuller says on the poster for the event. “We want to help provide our community with a foundation on how to be actively anti-racist. If you do not understand the purpose of the Black Lives Matter movement or anti-racism please join us while we explore topics like what it means to be an ally, how to support the movement, voter registration tables and much more.”

Speakers will include Kris Felicello, current superintendent of North Rockland Schools and former Chester Academy assistant principal and athletic director. Businessman Dante Greggs, a Chester Academy alumnus now residing in Buffalo, also will speak. Speakers will also include Orange County notables Fuller is currently inviting.

Singers include Jaleah Penceal and Shalyse. Fuller is engaging a DJ.

Tables will include voting information and an educational resource booth run by Faith and Angela Musco, who will be handing out free books such as “White Fragility and Me.”

A networking booth will invite posting ideas to improve the community. A donation booth will display a list of initiatives accepting donations with detailed information about where the donations will go.

Black Lives Matter T-shirts will be available.

Following the speakers and singers, the group will march to CVS and return to Erie Station. Fuller said masks and social distancing will be honored during the event.