More than 50 students gathered on the steps of Hendricks Chapel Monday afternoon with their hands boldly raised and bearing the same name: Mike Brown.

Syracuse University’s Juvenile Urban Multicultural Program called for students to join in the #HandsUpWalkOut movement by convening for a group photo on the steps of Hendricks, followed by a discussion inside the chapel. Some students walked out of their classes to join in the dialogue, while others simply came in support of the 18-year-old male who was shot to death by police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri on Aug. 9.

After a brief statement by Dean of Hendricks Tiffany Steinwert, Emelia Armstead, JUMP’s secretary, read off the names of a few victims of police brutality. Armstead then beckoned the crowd to “raise up” any other victims they knew — one audience member shouted out Trayvon Martin, which compelled several audience members to snap their fingers in approval.

“Let’s take a moment to reflect,” Armstead said. “These past few weeks have been exhausting.”

She asked the audience to think about what the next step might be to make sure incidents like Mike Brown’s death never happen again. Audience members stood up and spoke of the importance of education, doing more than just using a hashtag and recognizing that it is a racial issue.

“These issues are happening right here in Syracuse,” an audience member said. “This is happening in the DPS reports, where you see young black men called out all the time. So I think having these conversations helps to acknowledge that this is a racial issue.”

Sherri Williams, a PhD candidate in mass communications, said students need to shift from focusing on national news to paying attention to local media, as instances of police brutality can happen in their own communities.

“Ferguson is also Syracuse,” she said. “I think it’s important to focus on the United States, but there is a lot happening here in Syracuse. So make sure you watch the local news and read the newspapers, so you can learn about what’s happening even within blocks of this campus.”

James Duah-Agyeman, director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs, pointed to the fight outside of Faegan’s Pub in May 2013 as an event that created a tense relationship among students and local police.

Seven students were arrested outside of Faegan’s for charges including disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, inciting a riot, harassment, obstructing governmental administration and unlawful possession of marijuana, police said. The scene attracted a crowd of about 300 people and led to an altercation among students and police officers.

Ultimately, the event led to discussion among the university, the Department of Public Safety and the Syracuse Police Department about the relationship between students and police officers on campus.

Duah-Agyeman added that there have been discussions between him, class marshal Ronald Taylor, SPD and DPS about how to educate students on protecting themselves from getting arrested. On a larger scale, he said students can stay educated about police brutality and racial profiling by facilitating discussions with their friends and peers.

“These students wearing the nametag saying ‘My name is Mike Brown’ reminds them that it could happen to them,” Duah-Agyeman said. “It’s important for them to remember not to live in fear, but to be mindful of instances like these.”

Paula Johnson, co-director of the Cold Case Justice Initiative, reminded the audience members that the “past is not the past,” and that events like Trayvon Martin and Mike Brown’s deaths are something that can bring communities together.

“These last few weeks have felt like a lifetime for many of us, especially for the parents of Mike Brown, certainly for those who live in Ferguson,” Johnson said. “But it’s only been about two weeks since this began, so in that sense it’s a beginning, an opportunity to show support — not only in Ferguson, but here in this community as well.”

Published on August 26, 2014 at 12:01 am

Contact Annie: apalme05@syr.edu