Elon University students, faculty and staff gathered Tuesday in the Numen Lumen Pavilion to reflect on the recent death of a Maryland man in police custody, ensuing national protests and actions people can take to address social issues and inequalities.
Elon University’s faith leaders encouraged the campus community Tuesday afternoon to be mindful of all voices and feelings in conversations about social ills and inequalities that have sparked national protests in recent months.
At the same time, students shouldn’t sit silently when they see injustice. They must commit to making changes that improve the lives of all people regardless of race, class or gender.
Calls for action were part of a “Vigil for Baltimore & Our Nation” hosted May 5, 2015, by the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life.
Led by Elon Chaplain Jan Fuller and Associate Chaplain Joel Harter, the program in the Sacred Space of the Numen Lumen Pavilion included student remarks on the personal nature of protests in Baltimore following the recent death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray.
Gray died April 19, 2015, a week after suffering a spinal cord industry in custody for what Baltimore police allege was possession of an illegal knife. A growing protest movement erupted into violence by the end of the month, garnering national media attention. Six officers have since been charged in connection with the death.
“Although I’m proud to be from Baltimore, we definitely have our issues,” said Sara Hess, a senior psychology major and Elon College Fellow. “What’s a bigger problem is that the media hasn’t covered the peaceful protests back home in which thousands and thousands of people have participated.
“I’m thankful that people here are talking about it and that we’re having events like this.”
The vigil featured readings from the works of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela and Maya Angelou, among others. It concluded with a candle lighting and opportunity for participants to leave messages on a white board.
Fuller offered a simple question to her audience to consider after leaving the program: “What do you dedicate yourself to do?”
The Elon vigil took place the same day that quotes from famous civil rights leaders appeared on walks across campus calling for people to take a stand against social injustice. The sidewalk chalk included the hashtags #ElonSpeakUp and #BlackLivesMatter.
In his remarks to students, Harter also cited messages left on the social media platform Yik Yak, as well as an email from a student encouraging people not to forget the sacrifices of police officers like NYPD’s Brian Moore, who died in the line of duty over the weekend.
He said that we must consider all voices, and all points of view, as a community.
“It’s not easy to shed lights on inequality and injustice,” Harter said, “but we have to do this if we want things to change.”