Syracuse students gather in solidarity to take a fall for black lives

Earlier today at 12:30pm more than 130 students gathered together in solidarity to be a voice in their community here at Syracuse University. All students who participated exited the Schine Student Center together to take on the promenade to lay on the ground, as if dead, to inform those around of the massive amounts of black and brown bodies who are dying due to unnecessary use of excessive force by law officials.

Students who were involved in this die-in protest were informed about it via text message. It was said within the message to not post what will be happening on any social media platforms or via emails. It was also said within the message to forward it to “as many people as possible via text message, group messages and word of mouth.”

The reason students joined together to take part in this die-in was to demonstrate and “represent that only 10 of the 102 cases in 2015 where an unarmed black person was killed by police resulted in officer(s) being charged with a crime.”

Once the clock struck 12:30pm students lined up on the promenade with pieces of paper taped to their bodies of the names and ages of black lives who were unarmed and killed by police.

Once the number “201” was yelled out, all bodies fell onto the ground and laid there for 10 minutes and during these 10 minutes, there were lots of chatter among bystanders. You also saw photos being taken and people asking “What is this for?”

That question alone is what brings us all here today – black lives matter and by now it should be more clear for people to see that, yet people still wonder what students like us are standing for better yet falling for.

Brandyn Munford, class of 2018, said “I was a little shaky about it at first because I wasn’t sure what the response was going to be, but during the moment it was really powerful to see how we all came together. And the number of people that came out was incredible.”

In the beginning it was a bit scary to see how people would react towards this many students laying on the ground for a purpose that some may not understand, but seeing it all in the forefront was impactful.

Another student named Simone Ayers, class of 2019, who was one of the many photographing those laying down said “I felt the pain, looking at those bodies on the floor kind of made it real to me. I hear about it on the news, but these things are desensitized when a screen is dividing you from real life.”

It’s truly disheartening to see that a part of our community here at Syracuse feels both isolated and fearful for what is to come in the future due to the color of their skin. Ayers continued on to say “Even though the bodies laying on that ground weren’t dead it still touches a place in the pit of my heart that each one of those individuals could be a victim of over-policing/police brutality.”

Here lays a student from Syracuse University with the name Alton Sterling over his chest. Alton Sterling was a 37-year-old black man, who was shot several times at close range while being held down on the ground by two white police officers, but this isn’t the way we should be finding out about him or the way in which we know of him.

This gathering that brought many students together affected many people. One student speaks out anonymously to say “It felt good to be involved in such an important statement at a predominately white institution to let the campus know that we are here and that our voices will be heard whether they want to hear it or not because the killing of black people is not funny and it never will be.”

People want to be heard and want to bring change. That is why people came together in solidarity – it all starts here where we come together hand in hand of all colors.

After 10 minutes of silence and all of the bodies laying down still one student stood up and began singing Wade in the Water by Ella Jenkins. Suddenly all of the other students stood up and sang along. As they continued to sing all students began to walk in front of Hall of Languages with their fists in the air.

So if you ever come across someone asking “what happened on the promenade earlier?” inform them so that they don’t have to question it again.

Black Lives Matter and that is why we are here today taking a fall and also a moment of silence.