OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — It's been a tough few days across the city of Omaha.
Protests have become violent, causing a city-wide curfew and now there's even more social unrest following the death of 22-year-old James Scurlock.
"Nothing right now is going to change what has happened but if we come together as a community we can effect what will," Organizer Michael Young said.
Many across the city are enraged that Jacob Gardner, the man who killed Scurlock won't face charges.
"Hearing the news ... the verdict, seeing the pain in my town, my city, my community [and] I'm a father, I couldn't sit still," Young said.
It's why he hosted a unifying march at Memorial Park promoting peace in response to all that's happened over the past 72 hours.
Attendees say it's time to have uncomfortable conversations.
"We need to support each other, come together as one, bring the race gap here in Omaha as well as through the state together to show that we can be nonviolent, peaceful and not have any atrocities any judgment across the board," Attendee Wanisha Clements said.
Lacey Lamar says she experienced racism at a young age. In her eyes, not much has changed in decades.
"We need to do better," Lamar said. "I'm kind of speechless at this point and I'm tired but we need to do better and it's good that this many people came out, but something has got to change or in another 40 years it's going to be the same."
And while Lamar says she appreciates the people who showed up to the march, she hopes the future doesn't continue to repeat itself.
"James was our son, he's Omaha's son," Lamar said. "I don't care what anybody says. He wasn't a thug, he wasn't a thief, he wasn't this horrible human being that they're painting it out to be, he's our son now and so we have to keep his name--we need to keep his memory going--and we need to fight for justice for him."
