By Tonya Smith
On the 7th Street Beach in Ocean City, over 100 surfers came out for Paddle Out For Unity Sunday, June 7th. The gathering was a community wide event in solidarity with Black Lives Matter. Flowers were handed out while Marshall Young, a local black business owner (Small Axe Design) and surfer, told the crowd gathered about his experiences in the world as a global citizen that just happens to be black. While his overall message was to push forward and never look back, he drove home the idea that we all are one and that the only way to survive is by loving and respecting one another.
After a moment of reflection while looking up to the sky, the surfers went out into the water and performed a traditional Hawaiian Paddle-Out for George Floyd. With flowers in teeth, the surfers formed a circle at the end of the jetty on 7th Street. They held hands, a few words were said, the flowers were thrown in the circle and then the beautiful crowd splashed in celebration of another soul that was heading to his resting place.
Marshall and his wife, Kristina Young are the owners of Peace of Wood, an art studio located at 1112 Asbury Avenue in Ocean City.
