The four White boaters who reportedly initiated the Riverfront Brawl in Montgomery, Alabama, two weeks ago, have been charged with third-degree assault.
Reggie Ray, who was allegedly spotted brandishing a chair at the White boaters, has been charged with disorderly conduct.
A community is rallying around people like Ray, who they claim defended the Riverboat co-captain.
“We saw these culturally instinctive ideas of unity, and people wanted to be a part of that — brawlers wanted to fight, attorneys wanted to litigate, people with resources wanted to give to it, and we wanted to say, ‘Yeah, that’s who we are as a community,'” federal civil rights attorney Lee Merritt told Scripps News.
Merritt is assisting Ray and others in pursuing a civil case. He created a GoFundMe campaign on their behalf and has already raised approximately $300,000 for them.
“As a civil attorney who has been practicing for over a decade, I could see — even a lay person could see — that these people would need support, either from injury, professional services, trauma recovery — this was a traumatic event,” he explained.
Stephanie Mills, a Tony and Grammy winner, is also lending her support.
“I’m not racist. But I am prejudiced against hate. And I’m prejudiced against wrongdoing,” she explained to Scripps News.
Later this month, Mills will host a free concert and meet with people in the community.
“It really gave me joy that they didn’t allow, you know, him to be beaten,” she added.
“What do you hope this music will bring to those in attendance?” Scripps News National Reporter Amber Strong asked.
“Joy — joy and a sense of power, freedom, a sense of knowing they did the right thing, they did the right thing in helping that man,” she said.
Mills and Merritt say they intend to invest in the community now and in the future. Merritt says some of the funds will go toward scholarships and community homeless efforts, and that they’ve reserved the Harriott II riverboat for a sort of reunion next year.
“We just want to spread a big net to make sure the community is taken care of on our end.”
More News:
- A Montgomery man has been convicted in two separate capital murder charges from 2019
- TikTok Reacts to the Montgomery Riverfront Feud
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