Students at the Union showed their distaste for violence and hatred today by lying down for peace. Stretched in a line across a part of the Union floor, they came together in peaceful unison to protest the tragedies and violence that have been happening all around our country.
Derrick Martin is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and said that he and members of other organizations were in the Union participating in the protest because they felt it was time racism and violence stop in the 21st century.
“We have members of the NPHC (National Pan-Hellenic Council) here and also members of the NAACP that are on campus,” Martin said. “This protest is for all of the injustices that have touched our world recently and in the past. In the case of Ferguson and others like it, specifically, a lot of these tragedies have involved young, black men who have been killed, while the murderer has been allowed to go free without any punishment or justice being served. We’re not trying to say that black lives are more important than others; it’s just that there have been so many cases involving black men and it hurts our heart to see it continue to happen and nothing is being done about it.”
Martin said this was a peaceful way for them to express to the world how they felt about the racial tensions between law enforcement and people of color and bringing all injustices to light through peaceful protest.And to all the people of Ferguson and everyone across the country who were searching for justice and peace, Martin had this to say:
“It’s time to stop the violence and it’s definitely time to stop racism. Whether it’s black-on-white, white-on-black, black-on-black or white-on-white, no matter what color people are, it’s time for the crime and violence to stop, especially when it comes to police brutality.”
Angela Rogalski is a HottyToddy.com staff reporter and can be reached at angela.rogalski@hottytoddy.com.
