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Black Lives Matter event addresses police brutality

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Students and NAACP members gathered at Lynn Eusan Park Tuesday to address the police brutality that has cost the lives of several unarmed black Americans. Photo courtesy of Kaydra Green.

UH students joined together to take part in the National Association for the Advancement for Colored People’s silent museum Tuesday evening in support of the #BlackLivesMatter movement to honor the lives lost due to police brutality.

Members of the NAACP dispersed across Lynn Eusan Park baring signs which displayed the names of unarmed African-Americans who lost their lives to police shootings in recent years. They wore black from head to toe and placed strips of tape over their mouths to embody silence as the most powerful scream.

The #BlackLivesMatter movement became a viral hashtag in 2012 after George Zimmerman was acquitted for the murder of Trayvon Martin. The movement, however, goes beyond the extrajudicial killings of black men and women and gives a platform for black people to have a voice.

“The #BlackLivesMatter movement is a way for the black community to come together a say enough is enough,” UH NAACP president and junior pre-pharmacy student Nneamaka Njokede said. “With this hashtag my generation can share their thoughts and concerns about what is truly going on in America.”

As the NAACP members stood in silence, students sang and recited poetry expressing the obstacles black men and women face on a day to day basis with law enforcement.

“We need to educate each other on how to conduct ourselves when facing police officers so we are less likely to be wrongfully treated,” Wesley Okereke, psychology junior and ambassador of NAACP said. “There is an alarming number of police officers who stereotype black people the minute they confront them.”

Following the silent museum, the NAACP welcomed onlookers to address any questions or concerns they had with guest speaker Elwyn Lee, vice president for community relations and institutional access.

“Instead of saying ‘I didn’t know that’ you all need to educate yourselves,” Lee said. “Become aware by reading the newspaper or turning on the news.”

Lee stressed that supporters of #BlackLivesMatter are not a hate group. Lee explained that the movement is meant to create unity among black men and women and to educate blacks and non-blacks on the killings of unarmed civilians.

“To the UH students who are not African-American, you should know that #BlackLivesMatter is not just a ‘black’ thing.” Okereke said. “Nobody is exempt from police injustices so it is up to us say all lives matter irrespective of skin color.”

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11 Comments

  • It’s sad that there only holding signs of black people. This year alone were close to 900 police related deaths. Majority were whites. Followed by Hispanics then blacks. This just concretes that Only Black Lives Matter. Blm is a racist one sided movement. It’s 100% biased and if you say anything that they don’t agree with, they will threaten to kill you or label you as a racist.

    Here are the numbers names and pictures of those lives that have been taken by the police.

    #ALLLIVESMATTER
    #ALLLIVESPRECIOUS

    http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2015/jun/01/the-counted-police-killings-us-database#

    • first off, #ALLLIVESMATTER didnt even start until #BLACKLIVESMATTER started. second, question — You talking about Precious? As in Gabby Sidibe? Im sorry you feel that way Jason. Unfortunately, not all lives matter as they should. You dont face discrimination by police the way blacks do. You would think that it is “easy” to be black, but it is not. You dont know what it feels like to be black and see people of your color killed over nothing. Im assuming you’re white, and as I can see, you are obviously oblivious to your privilege. Unfortunately I found it rather racist that Dylan Roof was given a burger after killing 9 black people in a church and Jeremy Dole who was COMPLETELY harmless in a wheelchair was shot and killed. Why do white people want to be oppressed so bad and feel the need to be acknowledged for it? NO SIR IT DOES NOT WORK THAT WAY! You are living a life where you do not have to worry about if you will make it out of this life without being shot and killed by the police. I am an African American female and I fear for my 16 year old brother’s life because of the racial hate, profiling, and brutality African Americans receive from our police. so no ALLLIVESDONTMATTER, BLACKLIVESMATTER. Before you speak on how someone should feel and what they should advocate for, at least TRY to understand where the other person is coming from. Not everyone is privileged.
      and lovemycountry1964 you could use this too. (:
      -CDG

      • Where did I say how anybody should feel. You assume I face no discrimination in life. You assume I’m white and privileged. You assume a lot of things. If you fear for your brother keep him off of the streets. Put as much effort into him as you did your rant and he should be fine. You help concrete how only black people matter thank you for your ignorance. You obviously didn’t click on the link. But your quick to respond with your one sided hatred. Have a great one kid

        • where did i say my brother was in the streets? Keep YOUR ignorance to yourself. and yes NAACP will concrete only blacks lives matter because it is a black organization, i mean i thought common sense was common for a reason. Why did YOU feel the need to even comment and try to go against a movement created for black people? Start your own organization and do an all lives matter movement to make you feel better if it bothers you that much. im owt.

          • Didn’t say he was either there slick. Than to attack iq with a comment sense crack. Epic. Start a movement why so it will be labeled as some racist movement I’m good. Remember the common sense line it goes both ways. A alllivesmatter movement was made and was labeled as insensitive and lacking substance by blm I think that was right before they started chanting death to whitey and to the police.

  • Many of these deaths could have been prevented had the individual that got killed not resist arrest, not run, not argue and be disrespectful to a point that things got out of control. I know there are bad cops out there, but there are also very bad people. Just like every group, there are bad and good. The thing to do when you get stopped by a cop, do EXACTLY as they ask, show some respect for the uniform, and if you don’t like what they do or say or how they treat you, bring that up with their superior at a later time, not with them at that moment in time. The one thing that is truer today than I’ve ever seen is common sense isn’t always common. Hold yourselves accountable or as many of you say check yourselves before you wreck yourselves.

    • It’s crazy you say that because I know over 8 of the people that were murdered didn’t do a thing. and yea, you can say obey the officers, but what do you do when the officers aren’t obeying the law?

  • This is a great story!!! Keep up the good work!!! I know everyone is so proud!!!!
    You can do anything!!!

    Mario

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