Umoja, a black student union at Boston University, held a candlelight vigil service Tuesday at Marsh Plaza in remembrance of Michael Brown and other victims of police brutality.
Students and residents attended the vigil, which was one of many protests following the grand jury’s Nov. 24 decision to not indict Ferguson, Missouri Police Officer Darren Wilson in the August shooting death of the 18-year-old Brown.
Jailyn Gladney, coordinator for Umoja-subgroup Sisters United and a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences, said before the vigil that the group was excited by the prospect of a diverse turnout.
“We are trying to get students on campus to get more involved with social justice activism and invigorate the student body,” she said. “We usually see black attendees at events held by black student associations. We are excited for this vigil service because it is an opportunity for students of all ethnicities to show their support in solidarity.”
As vigil attendees entered the plaza, they were asked to sign and leave messages for Brown’s family on a banner that will be sent to Ferguson.
The vigil began with a speech that named other victims of police brutality and was followed by a recount of all the events that have taken place in Ferguson since Brown’s shooting. Brittany Longsdorf, the university chaplain for international students, then led a prayer in which the crowd participated in call-and-answer chants.
“If you look at the history of social justice movements, you can see that they are more often than not been led by students,” Gladney said. “The recent events that have taken place worldwide has given BU students a great opportunity to exercise leadership.”
Gladney said Umoja offers a great platform for students to get involved.
“We hold forums for BU students and professors to discuss race and violence in American society,” she said.
Victoria Mitchell, a sophomore in CAS, attended the event and said the vigil served as an opportunity for students and other people in Boston to send a message.
“This is our chance to send a message,” she said. “The young generation is often deemed as ignorant of the current events taking place around them. It’s great to see BU students expressing their emotions of anger and frustration towards a situation like this.”
Stephanie Quezada, a sophomore in Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, said the events in Ferguson were an injustice, and vigils and protests keep the issues open for discussion.
“It’s really important to send the message through our generation and to the younger generation,” she said. “These issues come up in our daily lives. It is something that we think is kind of beyond our era, but it’s still a present problem.”
Sixto Martinez, 25, of Mattapan, found the event on Instagram and said it was his duty to come and support a cause that has influenced his family and friends.
“There’s a lot of things that are going on in the world in terms of injustice, and it’s been going on for a while,” he said. “For a land that is considered free, it’s not as free as it proclaims itself to be. Anything like this, I will come out and support.”
Scott Paré, BU Police Department deputy director of public safety, said BUPD attended the vigil for safety and security reasons, but no one caused any trouble. A few BU police officers were in the area to ensure traffic was not blocked and students could continue to and from class, but they also wanted to secure the students’ freedom of expression, he said.
“It was a peaceful expression of their free speech,” he said. “And when they were done, they just went on their way without incident.”
Several residents said it’s important for people to protest and take a stand about an issue when see something they perceive as unjust.
Nick Baro, 28, of Brighton, said the incident in Ferguson brings up issues that affect people across the country.
“It’s sad that racial profiling is still going on today, and something should be done about it,” he said. “Everyone should have equal rights, so it’s an important right that people should have. So they should be invested in it.”
Katie Shetterly, 26, of Brighton, said individuals should take every opportunity they can to stand up for what is right.
“I hope that there are more things in the city that I could participate in,” she said. “It really has people all over the country talking about it and the world. It seems like people are really supportive of the protests for the most part. This is going to set the tone for a new social change movement in the country.”
