On Nov. 24, a grand jury chose not to indict Officer Darren Wilson in the killing of 18-year-old Michael Brown, sparking a new wave of protest nationwide. Protestors have blocked traffic on highways and tunnels in California and D.C., and lain down in the middle of malls and city streets at “die-ins” in Boston and St. Louis. They also staged a nationwide walkout of businesses and schools on Monday called Hands Up, Walk Out. Within Ferguson, the ruling led to both peaceful protests and riots, causing schools and businesses to close on Tuesday morning. The Ferguson Municipal Public Library remained open and hosted events for students in the area, inspiring over 7,000 people to donate to the library. How do you react to the grand jury’s ruling and the response nationwide?

Jamele Adams

130-150 words is nowhere near enough characters for me to share feelings on the jolt our human community is experiencing. Dr. King said it best: “riots are the language of the unheard,” people that feel like they don’t matter. We all matter. At our best as people, we will hold ourselves accountable on all accords regarding these tragedies and horrors, embrace the responsibility to advance our kinship, exercise measures that demonstrate that there are no second class citizens and not shy from development and discipline as deemed appropriate. There are a multitude of ways to engage social justice at this moment—when clearly defined. For myself, social justice right now would be demonstrated commitment to deconstructing systems of oppression. Black lives—all lives—matter.”

Jamele Adams is the Dean of Student Life.

Prof. Chad Williams

The recent grand jury decisions have sparked justifiable outrage across the country.  Tragically, unarmed black men and women dying at the hands of the police is not new.  Indeed, excessive police violence against black people, especially in urban communities, is deeply rooted in American history.  In large part due to the power of social media, the high profile nature of the Michael Brown and Eric Garner cases has exposed the unconstrained power police have when it comes to the use of lethal force against black “suspects” and the unlikelihood of legal accountability.  We are now confronted with the fact, long known to most people of color, that our current system of criminal justice is congenitally racist.  The rallying cry of #BlackLivesMatters and the wave of national protests are powerful statements of both righteous anger and an urgent need to critically examine what type of country we are and what we hope to become. 

Prof. Chad Williams (AAAS) is the chair of African and Afro-American Studies Department. 

Whitney Christie '17

When I found out about the grand jury’s ruling for Darren Wilson, I was distraught. A young man was shot six to eight times by another human being and the Grand Jury did not see anything wrong with it. Even though I do not know all of the facts regarding this case, I do believe that it has brought to light the United States’ long history of police brutality. The media has reported that Darren Wilson was simply “following protocol.” but this “protocol” is unjust. Many people around the country have similar beliefs. Thousands of people have done various forms of protests to show others that there is a problem with the legal system. I am extremely proud to see many people getting active about this issue because #BlackLivesMatter. It is our responsibility, as Americans, to show the world that #AllLivesMatter, and we have to make change in order to see change.

Witney Christie ’17 is the president of the Brandeis Black Students Organization.

Malika Imhotep '15

This ruling reemphasized fears of my worthlessness as an inhabitant of a black body in America and gave platform to the racism that America has been trying to hide behind Obama’s portrait. During the verdict press conference, speakers dissuaded the potential violence of those who disagreed with the decision. The words “tolerance,” “mutual respect” and “restraint” stuck out to me; the black community was being asked to exhibit the very things they have been begging others for since before the Emancipation Proclamation.  These officials believed that rioting—a valid exhibition of black rage—was stupid. Even President Obama’s post-verdict address was concerned with “calm” and “non-violence.” In this instance, non-violence is called up to silence resistance. Think of how Darren Wilson was so thrown off by the fact that his victim was “angry that [he] was being shot at.” Earlier this semester, Howard Winant mentioned how the abolition movement used varied forms of resistance, including moral, legislative, economic, and militant approaches. “Riots,” visual solidarity, boycotts as well as policy forums and public dialogues will all be necessary to facilitate any true and lasting revolution today.

Malika Imhotep ’15 helped organize “Brandeis Hands Up, Walk Out.”