The march was organized by HBCU students Calvert White, of Alcorn State University, Taylor Turnage, of Tougaloo College, Maisie Brown, of North Carolina A&T, and Timothy Young, a recent graduate of Jackson State University.
The organized protest was a collaboration between the MS NAACP Youth & College Division and Mississippi Black Lives Matter (BLM), as well as other social justice organizations.
The young organizers included with their protest a list of demands for government officials and a call to action for community members.
Among other things, organizers demanded that elected officials remove all confederate symbols and memorabilia throughout the state, that the police involved In the death of Ricky Ball of Columbus, MS (who was shot and killed during a traffic stop) be held accountable, and that Petal, MS mayor Hal Marx resign in light of insensitive comments that he made towards Floyd.
Notably, the organizers declined personal protective equipment (PPE) support from Governor Tate Reeves on Twitter Friday, the day before the protest.
