I remember scrolling through my Facebook when something caught my eye. I read that my fellow students were planning a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest. I decided that I wanted to join them and I messaged the head of the event right away, to see how I could contribute. I got ready and walked over to the event. There was music playing and students were dressed in black. What I saw was students coming together to use their voices for change. I saw students who were tired of injustices and students who supported their voices.

Nobody questioned why I was there. They thanked me for coming to spread the message. I didn't know how to feel, they shouldn't have had to thank me. They should expect my support and the support from other students. However thats not the case. People are fearful of speaking up. Some people had other places to be, and some just didn't support the cause. You see, it's easy to ignore something if it doesn't effect you. I could see as students walked by how uncomfortable they were. Why? Well, when it's right in front of you, you have to deal with it. You are forced to acknowledge what is going on.

It's okay to not understand the events that are occurring. It's okay to question what exactly the problem is. It's not okay to ignore. I know it's not my job to understand because I will never know what if feels like. However, I can listen. My job is to help raise awareness and to listen to those who are suffering. If we can listen and spread the word, maybe just maybe change can happen. It's interesting that when we support these causes, our motives are judged. I posted my support online and people wanted to tell me how I was wrong. Guess what, that's okay too. You can show me as many statistics as you want or feel the need to. I am proud at your dedication towards your research. Maybe your statistics run true, but what are the underlying problems? What is your research missing?

America is struggling. Racism still exists, no matter how many times your History class wants to tel you it's over. I learned this at the protest. I learned that people are afraid, and they are hurting. I find these emotions more meaningful than a statistic. I listen to what my fellow students are saying. I support their right to express their pain.

I remember a particularly memorable moment. I actually talked to one of the main professors of criminal justice on campus. He was proud of what the students had created. He told me that this is what I was going to remember in college. This is the classroom. These words stuck. He mentioned how fun it was to make people uncomfortable. You know what, I agree. People should be uncomfortable, we should not shield them away from the events that are going on in our country. It's not just police brutality. It's a lack of acceptance of people for people of color. It's about how our country has created an environment where people fear for their lives. It's about how it's viewed as okay to have a white supremacist group meeting, close to the town where a diverse campus resides. It's about having a presidential candidate who brings out the inherent racism of their supporters. We need to make a change. We need to stop killing innocent people. We need to listen, not understand. Our job is to spread awareness to help make change. I have full respect for the students who organized this protest. These are the students who will make a change in America. I am proud of my fellow students and I am proud to be apart of a campus where students can speak their minds. If I learned anything from this protest, it's that change can't happen unless you speak up. It takes the brave and passionate to make this change. Give them your support and listen to what they have to say. That is your job!

For more information on this event, here is an article from the local newspaper, The Bradford Era.