On the 10th anniversary of Philando Castile’s death, a crowd of more than a hundred people gathered in Falcon Heights on Monday, July 6, at a vigil to honor his life and legacy.
It is one of two Restoration Day events marking the anniversary; the second is the Unity Day gathering on July 7, where the community comes together through social connection and conversation.
“We did not get the justice that he deserves, but everyday I am thankful for you all for continuing to fight for his legacy and his honor,” Allysza Castile, Philando’s sister, said at Monday night’s vigil.
Former state Rep. John Thompson, who spoke at the vigil, said Philando Castile was a close friend and a co-worker in the St. Paul Public Schools.
“Philando was somebody who said to me, ‘Man I love everybody,’ and that was some of the last words I heard him say,” Thompson said. “And it impacted me and the way that I move for the rest of my life.”
The death of Castile, a school cafeteria worker, during a 2016 traffic stop in Falcon Heights, drew widespread reaction and sent his mother, Valerie Castile, on a decadelong journey of activism to use her son’s legacy to help the community.
Ahead of the vigil, she said the 10th anniversary carries an extra weight for her.
“It’s been 10 years already? Because it seems like yesterday,” she told Sahan Journal. “The same heartache and pain is just like when it first happened.”
This year’s vigil comes just months after Operation Metro Surge, which sent thousands of federal immigration agents into Minnesota and led to the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
Castile said as a mother, she feels the pain of losing a child, especially in the manner Good was killed in her car, and she thinks of how Philando felt in his final moments facing St. Anthony police officer Jeronimo Yanez with his girlfriend and 4-year-old daughter in the car.
Former Falcon Heights Council Member Melanie Leehy established Restoration Day in 2018 to encourage attendees to reflect on Philando’s legacy and promote healing with the backing of the Castile family.
“We knew we wanted to do something to restore an evil day, so we call it Restoration Day where we’re doing our soul work to restore relationships that’s been torn, but it also means coming up to support the Castile family,” Leehy said at Monday’s vigil.
Castile said she’s thankful for Minnesotans for coming up and sharing what they’ve been up to at the annual candlelight vigils. She says she knows what she’s done the past 10 years, but wants to hear from her community what the community has done in giving back and contributing.
“We’re all in this together. It’s not about Philando anymore. It’s about what he represented as a person and what [people] represent as a person,” she said.
Valerie Castile said her son’s life impacted a lot of people, and those close to him have changed for the better in their lives. She said she wants people to know his legacy is valued by many.
“People have changed their point of view about a lot of things, which is wonderful,” Castile said. “He’s a powerful spirit, and we are as well.”
Castile also spoke about the years of work community members have done to strengthen relationships between police and residents, from protesting to advocating to lawmakers for policy changes.
“Because we stand together in solidarity and we push for changes in things we see that shouldn’t happen, I think it’s a great thing to see so many diverse people coming together because they care,” she said.
Castile said she doesn’t consider herself an activist, but she has dedicated the past decade to advocating for her community following her son’s death.
She and her family established the Philando Castile Relief Foundation to support people affected by gun and police violence. She also helped launch the “Philando Feeds the Children” campaign in 2017 to pay off student lunch debt in St. Paul and Minneapolis school districts.
In 2019, she joined Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., on Capitol Hill to introduce the “No Shame At School Act,” which prohibits schools from shaming children who can’t afford school meals.
“No one can concentrate on an empty stomach, it’s just impossible,” Castile said. “And I always tell adults to think about a cup of coffee you need to get you going everyday. The child needs nourishment just like you do. So just like you need that coffee, kids need to eat food so they can concentrate daily and absorb information the way they should.”
Castile said she believes she “shamed” Minnesota into passing the bill which provides free school meals for all students. But she’s happy it got passed because that was a goal and was a part of the mission, and that children should get free meals not just in Minnesota but across the country.
“[People] have been advocating for years, then this Black woman comes, she’s not just advocating and rallying, she’s laying out the money,” Castile said. “And I think the state of Minnesota was ashamed because if I can care about Minnesota children, if Philando can care about Minnesota children, why can’t Minnesota care about Minnesota children?”
More recently, Castile said her advocacy has focused on supporting single mothers. Although funding and economic challenges have slowed those efforts, she said she continues to do what she can to serve the community.
“Philando loved community and family, and I think helping single moms get that edge and foot up, save some money and own a home, that’s the goal,” she said. “I’m going to do everything I can to make that a reality, and we can get back to where we were, being a progressive Minnesota.”
Castile said the easiest thing she could do to show up for the work she’s done is nothing, but said it wasn’t something God wanted for her. She said she had no clue of her true purpose until her son was killed.
“And that lit a fire in my heart, and God did the rest. Somebody’s got to do something,” she said.
She said she’s passionate about leveling the playing field between communities who have access to resources, and those who do not.
“My purpose is to be the voice for the voiceless, be the eyes for those that are blind and the ears for those who can’t hear, and the voice for our people.”
She said despite the bad times, people have to continue finding good. She said although progress is slow, the work people are doing will create meaningful change.
“We all have to stand together, because divide, and we all fall,” Castile said.
Unity Day Gathering
What: Community gathering honoring Restoration Day through unity, conversation, and community connection. Free food and beverages, live entertainment and children’s activities will be provided. Parking is available at Falcon Heights City Hall and on nearby side streets. Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets or lawn chairs.
Date: Tuesday, July 7
Time: 5:30 to 8 p.m.
Location: Falcon Heights City Hall lawn, 2077 Larpenteur Ave. W., Falcon Heights
Cost: Free
For more information: falconheightsmn.gov/215/Restoration-Unity-Day
