#HandsupDon’tShoot. Michael Brown. Ferguson. Twitter, Facebook, The New York Times, and various other outlets have centered their focus on the recent decision by the St. Louis grand jury to not indict Officer Darren Wilson who shot and killed Michael Brown, an 18-year-old black man, proceeding an altercation. This case has elicited an overwhelming amount of media coverage, which has made discerning the facts a very difficult task.
The members of the Stevens Institute of Technology’s Black Student Union (BSU) Executive Board felt that the circumstances revolving around Michael Brown’s death prompted an open discussion at their last General Member meeting, held this past Tuesday night. Members of the BSU and anyone apart of the Stevens community was welcome to attend. Assistant Director/Counselor of STEP Dean Deborah Berkley, Carlos Pereira, and Upper Campus Assistant Area Coordinator Tanasha Driver were also in attendance.
Senior and president of BSU ShaQuill Thomas opened the discussion with a brief overview of the Michael Brown case, describing who was involved, the issues that had ensued throughout the investigation process, and the decision of the St. Louis Grand Jury. With Thomas serving as the mediator, the floor was opened to audience members who wished to voice their opinions and questions.
Students discussed various aspects of the case, including media coverage, protocol, and the overall justice system. Dean Berkley discussed the importance of being an informed student. She stated, “Students at Stevens need to look beyond their academics and pursue these issues. As college students, you have an incredible potential to someday make sure these issues aren’t issues anymore.”
Thomas posed another question to the audience, asking whether or not the Michael Brown case should be considered a race issue. Those who spoke in response were more inclined to speak of the justice system, regarding the grand jury’s decision to not indict Officer Wilson as a serious faux-pas. Others, such as sophomore Yanique Spigner, offered a different perspective. Rather than seeing the case as a struggle between black and white, she simply stated “This issue is a human issue.”
In the past two weeks since the jury’s decision was released, there have been protests in Ferguson, Missouri and New York City, on the University of Rhode Island campus, and high school walkouts in Denver. Facebook and Twitter are saturated with statuses and tweets that are filled with anger and disappointment towards the justice system. However, the BSU offered to have an open dialogue regarding this controversial topic because it gives students the opportunity to be a part of a proactive and learning environment. There are a lot of different perspectives regarding the case, but overarching concerns regarding racial tensions, the media’s influence, and the justice system have become common threads to which people have been the most vocal.
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