Students asked to share stories of police discrimination at open mic event
Students who have experienced or witnessed discrimination at the hands of local law enforcement are encouraged to tell their stories at an open mic event called “Don’t be Silent.”
Originally scheduled for Oct. 20, Don’t be Silent will run from 7 to 9 p.m. on Nov. 16 in the Bovee University Center auditorium. The event is co-hosted by Community Action for Black Lives Matter and the Student Government Association.
SGA Diversity Committee Chairman Ji-An Lee said the stories are being compiled to lend support for the creation of a citizen’s review board in Mount Pleasant. A citizen’s review board is a group of citizens that review allegations against police officers.
Lee said student stories could include, for example, being pulled over and feeling that it was because of their race and not a lawful stop.
“(Students) can present their stories in any form possible, (either through) poetry or just speaking,” Lee said.
Students can also choose to be anonymous when they fill out a form with the details of their complaint. If they do not want to go to the open mic event, stories can be submitted to a drop box in the SGA office within the Student Activity and Involvement Center, downstairs in the UC.
