99-year-old in Westlake organizes protest against police brutality with her nursing home's help

WESTLAKE, Texas - Mary Leiden says she prefers reading her news rather than watching it, eyes glued to what the rest of the world has seen unfold recently. “This is the beginning of a new time, I hope," she said.

The 99-year-old says she’s watched George Floyd protests and other demonstrations multiply and felt the need to amplify her own voice. So she asked a few of her buddies at Brookdale Westlake Hills Senior Living Solutions to plan a get together on the curb. 

Masks on, and underneath tents to protect them from the 90-plus degree Texas heat, they held painted signs that say #BlackLivesMatter.

“I think it’s time to do something I think things have been drifting and going downward for a long time and if friends like us can get together and do something and say wait a minute let’s stop and think let’s do something," Leiden said.

Mary Leiden’s sign reads “Are we still protesting this?” 

“Because we talked about it and talked about it but now maybe we can finally do something let’s get together and let’s do something about the cost of living, about safety things don’t just sit on your a****," Leiden said. "Let’s get going. I wanted to do something while I was still alive.”

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Leiden says she hopes this is shared many times so others can see they can rise up to, hoping for real change. 

“Organizing people, moving around just stop and think a little bit it would do things a little differently can we do things any better please it’s been this way a long long time. At 99 I can tell you nothing has happened," Leiden said. "We have all just been involved running our lives and trying to take care of our children, take care of our jobs but maybe it’s time to stop and say wait! That’s my hope.”

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