“We’re not saying all lives matter, we’re saying black lives matter right now because we see the injustices that go against our brothers,” Victor Ngo, a Freeport resident said.

While the growing population of minorities on Long Island has increased more than 10% in the last two decades, the amount of inclusion and equity has not. A 2015 report by ERASE Racism found that Long Island continues to be one of the most racially segregated regions in the country.

Another central theme was the persistence of segregation on Long Island in spite of its increasingly diverse population.