Northport native and Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District educator Marshall Collins, Jr., has a unique story to tell as an African-American in Leelanau County. Collins was the only black member of his graduating class in 1995, and despite struggling with being one of very few people of color, he returned to the County after college to be near his family and out of love for this region. Following the gruesome murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police on Memorial Day, Collins helped organize recent Black Lives Matter demonstrations in Traverse City, including an upbeat and peaceful rally at the Open Space on June 6 that drew a diverse crowd of approximately 2,000 mask-wearing and social distancing activists and allies.