From Atlanta to Ferguson: Two Young Men #RunforJustice
Ray Mills stands and Londrelle Hall kneels in front of Michael Brown's memorial upon completing their 500-mile run from Atlanta to Ferguson. (Photo: Londrelle via Instagram)
With Ferguson and the aftermath of Michael Brown's killing on their minds, Londrelle Hall and Ray Mills ran 500 miles on concrete and road from Atlanta to Ferguson for 20 days to raise awareness about the town that has become the center point for the fight against police injustices nationally.
"I wanted the world and the community to keep their eyes on Ferguson," Hall, 25, told BET.com Wednesday. He said that complacency sometimes follows these types of incidents and people forget about them until the next tragedy.
Hall and Mills arrived in Ferguson on Sunday, just a day before the grand jury delivered a decision not to indict Officer Darren Wilson in the killing of Brown. Upon arriving at the memorial site, Hall broke down in tears immediately.
"I felt like my soul cried," Hall said. Within the final mile, he and his friend ran from the convenience store, where Brown was accused of stealing cigarillos, to the spot he was fatally shot.
"I really felt like I was dying because I was re-living someone's last footsteps."
On Nov. 3, Hall and Mills left Atlanta and ran an average of 35 miles a day to complete the journey. The young men pushed through body soreness, unexpected rain and cold weather and the departure of their cameraman who drove their car along the way as they ran their path. But knowing what was ahead kept them from giving up.
Moving forward, Hall wants to organize more runs to shed light on injustices and to raise money to donate to the Michael Brown's legal fund and for community programs that will empower youth.
"Running is just a tool to get people more in tune — that anyone can use to spark a revolution and spark a conversation," Hall said.
Visit TheRunforJustice.org for more information on the movement.
Follow Natelege Whaley on Twitter: @Natelege_
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