Fort Worth activist group undergoes a changing of the guard as president steps down
Donnell Ballard says he has been protesting against police brutality since he was a teenager.
Ballard has walked many miles expressing concerns about the same issues, and still things are not right, he said.
But the time and the amount of energy that it takes to be an activist has taken its toll on Ballard, who announced Wednesday that he is stepping down from the presidency of United My Justice, the organization he helped found more than three years ago, effective Wednesday.
“I will continue to fight for the community, which I’ve been doing for years,” Ballard said. “That won’t change. I just won’t be the face out front for United My Justice.”
Ballard, who suffers from congenital heart failure and has diabetes, said he has to slow down his activities because of health reasons. But Ballard said he is also slowing down because of the rigors, time and energy that activism requires.
During a press conference in front of Fort Worth City Hall on Wednesday, Ballard passed the presidential reins to former United My Justice Vice President Nikisha “Nikki” Pugh, who said Ballard’s decision surprised her.
“At first I thought he was joking when he told me he wanted me to be president,” Pugh said. “But I’m honored to be chosen.”
Pugh said that she was reluctant to step into the position, but that in the end she took the job because she wanted the organization to continue in a positive direction.
Pugh acknowledged that protesting can be dangerous, and said that she has been on the receiving end of chemical spray before. The group is also accompanied by security during protests, Pugh said.
The organization has a reputation for conducting safe, drama-free demonstrations, Pugh and Ballard said. This is something they want to continue, she said.
“We have to keep it nonviolent because kids and my grandchildren come out to the events,” Pugh said.
Still, at least one protest on May 31 where Ballard was involved attracted the attention of police and led to arrests. However, rioting charges were dropped for the approximately 50 people who were arrested during the 7th Street bridge protest following a march from downtown.
Ballard said Wednesday and has said before that on May 31 he pleaded with those demonstrators to leave the bridge before they got into trouble, but part of the group, perhaps as many as half, decided to go another way.
“It became a really big headache for me,” Ballard said. “Especially when you are trying to do the right thing and trying to get everyone to listen and they’re not listening.”
As Black Lives Matter demonstrations continued this summer after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody, United My Justice split from another group of mostly younger protesters. The other protesters, including the Enough is Enough Fort Worth group, continued nightly marches downtown and in the West 7th business district.
Ballard, Pugh and Cecil Collier, who has agreed to assume the vice president position vacated by Pugh, said there will be protests in the future for United My Justice.
United My Justice will also continue to work with other groups, counsel with grieving families and help search for missing people, Pugh said.
The group wants to create a larger educational role for its membership and become more involved in the effort to get people to vote, United My Justice leaders said.
“We’ve always done more than protest,” Pugh said.
Ballard said that although he has given up the presidency, he remains a United My Justice founder and will remain active.
Pugh says the group needs volunteers and anyone who is interested in helping can call 682-247-7750 for more information.
