Black Running Club Encircled By Police For Cheering

This situation also comes days after Ralph Yarl, the 16-year-old Black teenager who was allegedly shot in the head by a white homeowner on Thursday after he went to the wrong home to pick up his siblings. Désir said her first reaction to the viral Instagram posts about the police interactions was one of “deep fear.” “I wondered if somebody was shot or detained,” she said. “And then as a mother, I thought, Thank god I wasn’t there with my son.”

A marathoner and triathlete, Remy said that he has experienced racism in running before, which made being part of a running club focused on diversity all the more important to him.

“You always kind of feel it, showing up to the races, the events,” he said.

Désir said structural factors also play a part in the oppression Black runners face. The Boston Marathon’s course lies primarily outside the city of Boston, in predominantly white towns. Chestnut Hill, where Mile 21 was situated, is 78.3% white, according to the 2022 US Census Bureau.

“As a Black person moving through this space, you’re moving through a space where you’re not you’re not wanted,” Désir said. “It’s a legacy of segregation and police presence and zoning. So all of that very much is present when you’re running through the neighborhood.”

Rawls said all of these factors made Monday even more important to share joy and cheer on the runners who were making history for the community.