‘How can I find a better way?’: Teen protester learns life lesson from fellow demonstrator

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A local teenager joined Saturday’s protest to try and be part of the solution.

In a viral video captured on Interstate 277, you see him learn a lesson from a fellow demonstrator he told Channel 9′s Ken Lemon he’ll never forget.

Vance High School sophomore Raymon Curry knew his mother didn't want him to go to the protests that had become dangerous, so Saturday he snuck out the house with a friend.

"I feel like my voice still had to be heard," he said.

Curry and his mother had watched the video of a Minneapolis officer with his knee on the neck of George Floyd, killing him.

"The same officers I taught my son to respect, I'm watching that same video with them with their knee on Mr. Floyd's neck and my son is asking me if he is going to make it,” his mother Jasmine Curry said.

The 6’3 teen looking forward to college worried that Floyd could someday be him.

"Its crazy at 16 to worry if I'm gonna make it or not," he said.

He directed that fear and rage at a Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer with an older stranger.

Fellow protester, Curtis Hayes, intervened.

Hayes told the teen that the adults don't have the answers.

"So what I need y'all to do right now at 16 is come up with a better way. Cause how we doing it, it ain't working," Hayes said.

Curry said everything that’s going on has opened his eyes.

"I’m at home every day, seeing this video go viral and just keep repeating in my head, how can I find a better way,” he said. “How can I at 16 so young change the world perspective on my skin tone.”

Curry hasn’t found that answer yet, but he is now working with Curtis Hayes to do something more.

The teen told Lemon before the George Floyd video came out, he wanted to become a police officer and that goal hasn’t changed. He said he wants to take that challenge on the job to make sure what happened to Floyd, never happens again.

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