Maya McFadden Photos
Hundreds of Southern Connecticut State University students marched to demand that their school live up to its “social justice” mission — as the campus president joined them and vowed to help make that happen.
Faculty and staff joined the students Wednesday evening for the three-hour gathering, which started with a march across campus from the Hilton C. Buley Library to the front of Wilkinson Hall known on campus as the “res life quad.”
The protest included a line-up of faculty and student speakers and performances at the center of campus. On the steps of Wilkinson Hall, speakers stepped up to talk systemic racism, the history of police brutality, and white complicity.
In front of the microphone were easels holding posters with the names and faces of some national faces lost to police brutality and racial injustice.
“We’re here because we’re a social justice institution. Prove the statement right,” said Senior Camryn Arpino-Brown who led organizing for the protest.
President Joe Bertolino, who publicly delcared the social justice mission when he took the job, addressed the students with support for their demands after marching alongside them.
Bertolino pointed out a sign held up in the crowd of students reading “white silence = white compliance.”
“It is time for those of us that are the beneficiaries of white privilege to speak up and to act,” Bertolino said.
Faculty and staff joined the protest not only to stand with the students but to learn from them, Bertolino said. “The people that are responsible for your experiences are here tonight. They’re here. They’re here to learn. They’re here to listen. And then the expectation is that they will leave here and act,” he said.
Bertolino, who is white, said he is afraid for his son, who is Black, everyday. “None of us are immune from the impact that this has on our community,” he said. “All lives can’t matter until Black lives matter.”
Also present was newly named university Vice-President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Diane Ariza.
Bertolino promised that he will work to make SCSU be more intentional with how resources are distributed. He agreed to put more resources towards retainment and recruitment of students and faculty/staff of color, campus activism, social justice training, and the school’s curriculum for social-justice minors in the works.
Arpino-Brown proposed the idea of the protest after the death of actor Chadwick Boseman in August.
“I realized that we all know death and trauma all too well. It’s like we have symptoms of PTSD after being flooded with tragedy constantly on social media and the news,” she said.
Arpino-Brown partnered with SCSU’s multicultural organizations and the student government association to plan. Originally organizers planned to host the protest and vigil separately.
Organizers decided on the res life quad because it is the “heart of first-year students” who didn’t get to experience a traditional welcome week this year due to Covid. “We wanted to do this for them. Protesting is what we all are growing up with but especially them,” Arpino-Brown said.
The hundreds of students stood behind rows of chairs placed in front of the buildings steps for those with disabilities.
“When will you stop carrying your ancestry on your back to preserve it from colonizer?,” said Arpino-Brown. “When will our voices be heard at this school, in life, in the United States, in the entire world? When will our voices be heard? The answer is now.”
First-year students Chaadra Moore-Shorey, 19, Cheraynne Martin, 19, and Kiresah Bent, 18 (above) joined the protest because they said they would feel guilty if they hadn’t. “The opportunity came right to us so how could we not step up,” said Bent.
“I think everyone should take the extra step to come out and support beyond social media,” said Martin.
Two artists from Brooklyn, David “Rufii” Rufus and Quazel “Quality” Trower, were invited to the protest to do spoken-word performances. Rufii’s poem recalled his feelings about the murder of 22-year-old Oscar Grant in 2009 who was killed by law enforcment at the Fruitvale BART Station.
After a poem about joining his first protest, Quality performed his song “Shakin” for the audience which clapped and sang along with the performance.
After the lineup of speakers and demonstrations, organizers opened the stage to students with personal stories, campus experiences, and feelings for an open mic session.
During the open mic, Junior Madison Alexis (above) brought up intersectionality. “I don’t have time to wait until it’s my brother to die for being Black. But I also don’t have time to wait for one of my Black cousins to die for being gay. I dont have time to wait for people to figure out that all injustices are equal,” she said.
Alexis defined intersectionality and discussed its founding by Kimberlé Crenshaw.
“If you do think you have the time to wait then I suggest you check your privilege. You are not as monolithic as you think,” Alexis said. “Please remember that Black Lives Matter is more than just signifying the importance of Black lives amid rampant injustice. But Black Lives Matter is a fight against injustice everywhere due to its intersectionality.”
Freshman Kira Dawson waited in line for the open mic to share her experince as a Black student with ADHD and Epilepsy. Dawson recalled being yelled at by middle school teachers for no reason. “I knew it was wrong. I felt offended,” she said.
A junior Alexsia Udeokoro and alum Katia Bagwell (above)took the stage together during open mic to talk specfically about SCSU’s problems.
Udeokoro discussed an instagram page called “Black at Southern” which anonymously shares the stories and experiences of students of color at SCSU.
“Why did it have to come to students only feeling comfortable speaking up through an anonymous instagram page?” Bagwell asked.
Bagwell graduated this past May. While a student she held many student leadership positions and was president of SCSU’s chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. Bagwell recalled being looked at as a token while a student advocate on campus.
Udeokoro and Bagwell took part in the open mic in hopes of directly talking about working on SCSU’s issues.
“All white student leaders, I need you to stop looking at that one Black person. That one Spanish person. That one multicultural student in your meetings when you want to address issues that are going on with minorities. Why do you have to look at them? Why do you have to single them out? Why do you not know what going on ar your own campus?” Udeokoro said.
The rally finished with a candle-lit vigil. A group of students read off the names and brief stories describing the final moments of 20 people’s unjust deaths. Students in the crowd held up their phone flashlights as the names were read and a moment of silence was taken.
Arpino-Brown planned for the event to end with the vigil to leave the crowd thinking about “why we are a part of the movement.” To avoid ending on a sad note Arpino-Brown reminded the remaining crowd to seek out positive stories of Black success.
The next steps will be to follow up with the school’s leadership to continue talking and working towards a more equitable institution said Arpino-Brown.
