ALTOONA, Pa. (WTAJ) — When protests and marches are over, how can you continue to support justice and racial equality?

After days of rallying in local areas, demonstrators say they want to make sure people know what they’re protesting for. Altoona Rights March speaker, Kendel Butler says all lives matter but right now it’s important to speak up for those who are underrepresented.

Butler says “for the most part blacks are the ones that are getting murdered by police and kind of tossed to the side in the justice system. So right now that’s what our world needs, we need people to care about black people. I want my son to have the same opportunities as a white child or as an Asian child. I don’t want him to grow up in a world where he feels as though he can’t succeed because he’s a black man…Everybody needs to take accountability for their part especially community leaders, people with a voice, with a platform. This is the time for them to shine to help the future.”

He says hes speaking up now and encourages others to do the same– to help next the generation.

On Saturday downtown Altoona was filled with over a thousand people marching for justice.
The demonstration may be over, but organizers say the fight for justice must continue.

Ahmil “Anita” Johnson, organizer of Altoona’s Human Rights March says “something that we need to do moving forward is to just spread more love, add more positivity and just loving your neighbor as your brother as I was taught to do… Supporting local black-owned businesses is more empowering than anything right now.”

Local activists say you can also start by educating yourself through literature, donating to positive causes, and voting in your local elections. Johnson says that in times like these, the black community needs support from within and from those surrounding them.