Marist Students March for Breonna Taylor
Chants of “no justice, no peace” echoed throughout the Marist College campus on Wednesday night as students marched in protest of the grand jury decision in the case of Breonna Taylor.
Marist students marching through the streets of Poughkeepsie to protest the grand jury verdict in the case of Breonna Taylor. Source: Eduardo Veg Salvador ‘22
On Sept. 23, a Kentucky grand jury indicted one of three police officers involved in the death of Breonna Taylor, a Black ER technician who was killed in her home in the early hours of March 13 in Louisville, Kentucky. Former Louisville Metro Police Department officer Brett Hankison was charged with three counts of wanton endangerment for firing into the apartments of Taylor’s neighbors.
No charges have been brought against Jonathan Mattingly and Myles Cosgrove, the other officers involved. None of the officers faces charges directly related to Taylor’s death.
Protests erupted in Louisville and across the country in outrage over the decision. Protestors are calling for all of the officers to face direct consequences for Taylor’s death, as well as seeking more information about how the grand jury came to their decision.
Marist students gathered on the campus green to march in solidarity, expressing their own anger and disappointment over the verdict. The protest was swiftly organized by Students Revolt, a new group on campus operating primarily through their Instagram account @studentsrevolt4blm.
Students hold signs as they protest for Black Lives Matter. Source: Eduardo Veg Salvador ‘22
“Someone needs to hear our voice,” Troi Smith ’23 said. “It’s not a lot to ask.” Smith said the night’s protest wasn’t only about the verdict in Taylor’s case –– its significance ran even deeper.
Sept. 23 marked the 65 year anniversary of the decision in the case of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old Black boy who was murdered in Mississippi in 1955 for allegedly flirting with a white woman. Till’s killers received a verdict of “not guilty” by an all-white jury. The verdict caused widespread outrage throughout the country, mirroring the response to the decision in Breonna Taylor’s case. Today, activists continue to march against racial injustice and violence against the Black community.
Starting with a group of nearly 50 students, the marchers at Marist traveled to the Gartland Commons, calling out “wake up, wake up –– this is your fight too,” encouraging students to come down from the dorms and join them.
The group paused to take a moment of silence for Breonna Taylor, then invited students to speak up and share their thoughts with each other.
Julia Meyer ‘23 urged her peers to realize this issue is “about Black lives,” and they should share her outrage. “This isn’t a gallery walk. Get out here. Do something.”
Students held up “Black Lives Matter” signs and raised fists from their windows, and the crowd cheered as some ran out of the buildings to join them. Slowly, the march grew to nearly 200 people during the night.
“We’re not getting the justice we deserve, especially for Black women,” Keenen Bingham ‘23 said. “People are acting blind to all of this.”
The marchers continued to the freshmen dorms on the south side of campus, urging Marist’s newest students to come out and march, then continued through the underpass below Route 9, past the Fulton buildings and to the Upper West Cedar townhouses.
“Our goal as Student’s Revolt is to keep this going outside of Marist,” said Shea Shapiro-Barnum ‘23, one of the event’s organizers, to the crowd of students. With this, the group marched off campus up West Cedar Street and into the streets of Poughkeepsie.
Source: Eduardo Veg Salvador ‘22
Shouts of “white silence is violence” and “say her name” rang through the streets. Residents left their homes to observe the march passing by, some expressing support while others remained silent.
The protest carried on, circling Sunset Avenue and through Fox Run, when the marchers eventually ended on the basketball court near the Fulton buildings. Students stood, fists raised, in one more powerful moment of silence as they collectively mourned and reflected on Breonna Taylor.
More speakers took the microphone to share their passion and reflect on the night’s events. Students denounced racism in both the U.S. and in the Marist community, and made it clear that this protest was the start of something greater at Marist.
“This was a great first step, but we aren’t done. We hope this keeps getting bigger and bigger,” Shapiro-Barnum said.
Another student came forward, sharing her convictions. “This was fantastic, but we have to keep it up … this is not one and done. Being uncomfortable is far better than being silent.”
Students raised their fists in protest and solidarity. Source: Eduardo Veg Salvador ‘22