Speaking Out: Juniata Hosts Residency for Ferguson Activists
(Posted November 13, 2015)
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Five civil rights activists came to Juniata College Nov. 4 to discuss police brutality, racism and the social justice movement in Ferguson, Mo., following the death of Michael Brown, an 18-year-old African-American teenager, who was shot by Darren Wilson, a white police officer, on Aug. 9, 2014.
The speakers, on campus as a part of the Baker Institute's Activists in Residence series, were Kristine Hendrix, an educator and mother of three boys; Calvin Kennedy, an activist in the Ferguson Frontline; Ebony Williams, a member of Lost Voices and mentor for girls; Jihad Khayyam, a financial educator in St. Louis, Mo.; and Pastor Cori Bush, a nurse in underserved communities. They were joined by David Ragland, assistant professor of peace and conflict studies at Juniata.
"This ain't your parents' civil rights movement" was the opening statement of the activists' open forum about systematic racism and social change in the United States. Starting with her own experience, Hendrix stated with conviction that she was tired of seeing injustice happening around her. She does not wish for her children to live with fear.
Hendrix told the audience that during a peaceful walk on the streets, she was electrically stunned three times by a police officer with a Taser. She was unarmed. The audience listened to her testimony in silence while watching a video of her attack.
Kennedy spoke of his own experience, saying he did not know "whether or not he would return home after leaving his house because he lived in a corrupt system where blacks are often police targets and where good cops do not stand up against bad cops." Similarly, Williams called for those who stereotype blacks as being always "angry" and "violent" to take the time to educate themselves about the harsh realities that minorities face. Following her statement, some of the audience members agreed with her, saying, "That's right!" and nodding their heads in sympathy.
Khayyam then took the microphone and made the following analogy: The United States is like a person who wakes up in a rush and with no time to shower. That person puts on cologne and rushes out the door. As the day goes on, however, the cologne wears off and the stench returns. "America's funk is here because she never really addressed race," said Khayyam.
The message of the activists was that the violation of African-Americans' civil rights has gone on for too long and noted that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s vision has been left unfinished. The panel recommended this new generation should stand up for the truth, freedom and equality they deserve, noting that change can be accomplished if everyone -- whether they are Black, Caucasian, Latino, Asian or mixed -- comes together and understands that, quoting Martin Luther King, "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
"This isn't a game for us. This is real life, and we are real people," said Pastor Bush in closing.
Khayyam, summed up the session by stating, if American citizens want to end up on the right side of history, they must fight for liberation because their children will ask them how they contributed to the cause. He added that knowing the truth and turning a blind eye is more evil than oppression itself.
The panelists encouraged all college students to make change happen starting in the nation's classrooms, campuses and communities.
By Anne-Marcelle Kouamé, Juniata Online Journalist
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Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.