A suburban couple has put up a large display in their front yard that they hope will get neighbors talking.
Courtney and Brandon Sanders in Shorewood knew they wanted to do something to support the Black Lives Matter movement sweeping the nation, but they also wanted it to be a family affair.
"This is our own way of peacefully protesting," said Brandon Sanders.
That protest includes more than a dozen signs in their front yard displaying the names of lives lost to racism - a project that both garners attention and educates. Each sign includes the person's name, age and how they died.
"We are bringing an awareness to people who may not know really - may not have paid much attention before to the names or ages or to the circumstances surrounding these human beings' lives," said Courtney Sanders.
But it wasn't just a teaching moment for others in their community. It was also a lesson for their children.
Each sign that went up came with a homework assignment and a frank discussion about race.
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"The kids had to research that person, they had to learn about them and understand who they were as a person before they became infamous for dying," said Courtney Sanders
The display took about two weeks to complete and the Sanders say they hope to keep it up as long as possible.
"Our hope is that we have been able to educate our children, but all people driving by seeing signs. They take time to stop and look at them and absorb them," Courtney Sanders said. "Not just for our family, but our community bringing this information might help ease fear and lead path to more understanding."
