F-M Community Remembers Elijah McClain

OneFargo and the Fargo-Moorhead symphony invited the community to honor the life lost.

FARGO, N.D. – One Fargo in collaboration with the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony invited the community to honor and remember Elijah McClain.

Elijah McClain was a 23 year old African American massage therapist from Aurora, Colorado, who was killed after an encounter with police.

The event began with some words from One Fargo, as well as some music provided by the Fargo-Moorhead symphony and some community members.

One Fargo’s Wess Philome says he was in the middle of grieving George Floyd’s death when he found out about Elijah’s story.

Philome says we not only need to keep highlighting police brutality, but also acknowledge the people who make the phone calls to the authorities when they see someone that may look different to them.

Another organizer for OneFargo says this story hit close to home for her.

“Elijah reminds me a lot of my younger brother. Very caring, very helpful, just wants to make the world a better place and even when he’s in the wrong, he’s still apologizing, so seeing that I saw my little brother and that just broke my heart,” says  One Fargo organizer Anyiwei Maciek.

The community was also encouraged to bring flowers and place them in the gazebo.

OneFargo will be hosting a Liberia Independence Celebration on July 25 at the Johnson American Legion Soccer Field.