Peace March interrupted by racist hecklers, university investigates incident – The Oswegonian

Amid the positive atmosphere of honking cars in support of the Peace March on September 21, the International Day of Peace, a driver pulled over next to a group of marching students and said words that caused confusion.

“Fuck all of you, fuck all black people and fuck your flags, put them down,” the driver yelled. The driver told the protesters to go home and drove off.

Black Student Union (BSU) President Aliyah Wright spoke to protesters after the incident about what happened and the importance of making their voices heard.

Anneke McEvoy, deputy chief diversity and inclusion officer, thanked the students for handling the situation with dignity. McEvoy said the situation was being investigated and anyone with information could speak to her.

The march, organized by the BSU and the ALANA (African, Latino, Asian, Native American) Planning Committee, marked the conclusion of the ALANA Multicultural Leadership Conference. Students and faculty marched from City Hall to the campus bus stop where the incident occurred.

“ALANA is intended to provide multicultural students with a sense of belonging on campus and to educate the student body about our culture and what is appropriate and inappropriate,” said Aiden Wilson, Student Association President. “My responsibilities include not only managing the program’s financial support resources, but also being an ally and helping them achieve their goals.”

The upcoming election in November placed the march in a political context. In response to government violence against Palestinians in Gaza, several students called for the SUNY system to withdraw from Israel.

Students chanted “Black Lives Matter” and added Hispanic lives in a movement of intersectionality; Asian Lives; transgender life; gay life; the lives of people in Palestine, Haiti, Sudan and the Congo; and finally: “Your vote counts.”

Protesters also chanted the names of unarmed Black Americans killed by police, such as Sonya Massey, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd.

Wright cited the name of Javion Magee, a 21-year-old black man found hanging under a tree in North Carolina, as an example of the racist atrocities occurring in America today.

At the start of the march, Wright read a poem by black nationalist Marcus Garvey and then asked students to stay in a line and walk behind a police car to ensure safe passage.

Participants from diverse backgrounds viewed the march as a forum for students from marginalized communities.

“ALANA to me means family and unity, a place where students can feel safe and seen,” Danilza Martinez, Latino Student Union graduate advisor, said. “As a woman of color pursuing higher education, it is very important to me to be at every event ALANA hosts to advocate for students who look like me and have not yet found their voice.”

“The ALANA conference demonstrated through unity that black culture can stand alongside multicultural communities,” said Sara Dormé, president of the Association of Black Psychologists, “while being in the same room where conversations with one another are taking place, and although individually.” another.”

Some students viewed the march as a way to speak about issues they consider unrecognized.

“I think it's important to talk about the things that aren't at the forefront of our daily lives and classes,” said Maria Fall, a protester. “Since I’m a political science minor, I can talk about it a little bit, but not everyone has that opportunity.”

“I came because it is important that we as students come together to express what needs to change and to make our voices heard,” said Samantha Mondesire, president of fashion at Oswego.

The upcoming election in November placed the march in a political context. In response to government violence against Palestinians in Gaza, several students called for the SUNY system to withdraw from Israel.

Students chanted “Black Lives Matter” and added Hispanic lives in a movement of intersectionality; Asian Lives; transgender life; gay life; the lives of people in Palestine, Haiti, Sudan and the Congo; and finally: “Your vote counts.”

Protesters also chanted the names of unarmed Black Americans killed by police, such as Sonya Massey, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd.

Wright cited the name of Javion Magee, a 21-year-old black man found hanging under a tree in North Carolina, as an example of the racist atrocities occurring in America today.

At the start of the march, Wright read a poem by black nationalist Marcus Garvey and then asked students to stay in a line and walk behind a police car to ensure safe passage.

Participants from diverse backgrounds viewed the march as a forum for students from marginalized communities.

“ALANA to me means family and unity, a place where students can feel safe and seen,” Danilza Martinez, Latino Student Union graduate advisor, said. “As a woman of color pursuing higher education, it is very important to me to be at every event ALANA hosts to advocate for students who look like me and have not yet found their voice.”

“The ALANA conference demonstrated through unity that black culture can stand alongside multicultural communities,” said Sarah Dormé, president of the Association of Black Psychologists, “while in the same room having conversations with each other, individually.” another.”

Some students viewed the march as a way to speak out about issues they consider unrecognized.

“I think it's important to talk about the things that aren't at the forefront of our daily lives and classes,” said Marie Fall, a protester. “Since I’m a political science minor, I can talk about it a little bit, but not everyone has that opportunity.”

“I came because it is important that we as students come together to express what needs to change and to make our voices heard,” said Samantha Mondesire, president of fashion at Oswego.

Photo by Brandon Trinidad

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