By Dave Johnson
W&M Athletics
 
Rookies at organizing protests, Carl Fowler and Michael Jackson set modest expectations. Maybe, if all went well, the event would raise $2,000. After all, it had been put together in less than a week.
 
Instead, the Durham-Raleigh March Against Injustice surpassed its goal tenfold. Fowler and Jackson helped generate $20,073 for the Equal Justice Initiative, a non-profit in Montgomery, Ala., that provides legal assistance to those wrongly convicted of crimes.
 
It was the teamwork of two William & Mary football players — Fowler, a white defensive end from Durham, N.C., and Jackson, a black cornerback from Annapolis, Md. — in a united declaration that Black Lives Matter.
 
"The turnout was way more than we expected," Fowler said. "Beyond donations to EJI, we had tons of water, snacks, and people who set up stations for bag lunches. We had masks, sunglasses, sunscreen, you name it. If we needed it, somebody gave it to us."
 
Jackson was also surprised by the response.
 
"We had the expectation of me and him and maybe a few other people doing the 20 miles, and we were fine with that," he said. "It's really amazing to see what we put together. It was surreal, kind of."

W&M coach Mike London couldn't have been more proud.
 
"They wanted to do something that was actionable, that was positive, and that was peaceful," London said. "They showed that unity is a huge part of this."
 
The Equal Justice Initiative posted its gratitude on the event's Facebook page, saying "It is because of supporters like you that we can continue working to end mass incarceration, excessive punishment, and racial inequality."
   

Held last Sunday, the walk began at the Durham Police Department Headquarters. There were 107 participants at the start, 70 of whom completed the seven-hour walk to the Raleigh Police Department Headquarters. At one point, there were about 150 people marching.
 
Most of the path was on NC-98 and Six Forks Road. There was a police or sheriff presence the entire way, and Raleigh officials closed a couple of streets so the walkers could gather in front of the station afterward.
 
"Everyone was safe," Fowler said. "I'm super appreciative because it ended up being 70 people (walking the entire distance) and to have squad cars on both sides of that was really comforting. It was one less thing to worry about."
 
The organization presented a list of demands, which included changes in policy, at both headquarters.

Fowler said the participants included about 15 of his and Jackson's teammates and some additional athletes from W&M. Several Duke athletes took part, including one of Fowler's former teammates from Northern Durham High.
 
"Beyond that, it was a ton of people I did not know," Fowler said. "That was unexpected and really cool."
 
The movement isn't over. Jackson has become head of publicity for Williamsburg Action, which organizes nightly protests at Merchants Square.  
 
Jackson is helping put together a Juneteenth event, which celebrates the end of slavery, on June 19. The planned site is Colonial Williamsburg.
 
"It's been interesting working with them," Jackson said. "I'll see where that takes me."

Fowler, who graduated in three years and will start W&M Law School in the fall, believes his work isn't even close to being done.
 
"We're going to keep doing things until we start seeing changes that we expect and demand to see," he said. "Which makes this not a week-long or a month-long or even a year-long thing. The Greensboro lunch counter sit-ins lasted five months. The Montgomery bus boycotts lasted 381 days. For us to create actual change, this will be a lifetime of work.
 
"While I've long believed (what) I do about systemic and institutional racism, it's taken me a long time to act in the ways I am now. There are some ways I'm getting it wrong that I don't even know about, I'm sure. But it's important that I, that we, try."