News

More than 300 people attended Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s first Black Lives Matter Conference from 8 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 20 at the Morris University Center Conference Center. 

The Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion hosted the session under the direction of Venessa Brown, PhD, associate chancellor. The morning was spent, in part, addressing the reason for the Black Lives Matter movement that came to prominence in the aftermath of the shooting death of Trayvon Martin. It also addressed issues of race relations and the condition of blacks in America. 

On program were several speakers, including Brown, SIUE Interim Chancellor Stephen Hansen, an SIUE student panel, and a faculty, staff and community panel, as well as spoken word artist Kenneth Coleman, a junior majoring in theater performance. Also, in attendance was SIU President Randy Dunn and SIU Board of Trustee Member Shirley Portwood.

 “What began as local demands for an end to systematic police brutality toward African Americans,” said Jessica C. Harris, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Historical Studies, “has since been transformed into a potent national protest movement, propelled by other high-profile deaths of unarmed African Americans at the hands of the police.”

 Harris quoted Alicia Garza, a co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement: “When we say Black Lives Matter, we are broadening the conversation around state violence to include all of the ways in which Black people are intentionally left powerless at the hands of the state. When we say Black Lives Matter, we are talking about the ways in which Black people have been deprived of their basic human rights and dignity.”

 It was necessary to host the conference, according to Brown, because of SIUE’s commitment to citizenship and inclusion, and it served as an excellent educational opportunity for the campus community. 

“This Black Lives Matters Conference is important,” said Hansen, “because it helps all of us understand what difference we can make in the lives of others. It emphasizes what Nelson Mandela said: ‘What counts in life is not the mere fact that we’ve lived. It is what difference we’ve made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.’”

The student panel, moderated by Harris, addressed several questions, including what the Black Lives Matter movement meant to them. Melvina Chaney, a senior majoring in psychology and president of Black Girls Rock, mentioned her conversation with her brother and his dread of having “the talk” with his two-year-old son.

Throughout the session, panelists referenced “the talk,” which is what African American parents tell their children, especially boys, about how to safely interact with police.

“The movement is not about vilifying the police, but allowing for another position at the table of influence,” said Dillon Santoni, a senior majoring in political science and student representative on the SIU Board of Trustees.

“I have started to connect with the Black Lives Matter movement because my voice matters,” added Ashley Dozier, a senior in the Department of Theater and Dance. “After being at SIUE, I began to notice the unwillingness to connect to my culture and my people.”

Other student panelists included: D’Amonti Batton-Jackson, a junior in communications and black studies; Gary Prichett, a junior majoring in communications; Veronica Delgado, a graduate student majoring in art therapy; and Raechel Lashelle Stacy, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences.

 Anthony Cheeseboro, PhD, associate professor in historical studies, moderated the faculty, staff and community panel. The panel dealt with such questions as how to handle police misconduct, the “needless” shooting of black persons and more.

“I would encourage more civilian oversight committees for the police,” said Dr. Bryan Jack, assistant professor of historical studies, whose father was a former police officer who was injured in the line of duty.

As a profession, the police need to do a better job at training and providing equipment for officers to do an effective job, said SIUE Police Chief Kevin Schmoll. But the SIUE Police Department is one of most well trained agencies in the area, he added.

“In the history of the U.S., we have never experienced the police protecting the rights of Black America,” said Prince Wells, director of black studies and associate professor in the Department of Music. “For white people, the police have been there to protect and serve. But from slavery to the Civil Rights era, the police have existed to drop the hammer on us. But we can change that.”

“The talk” is beyond policing, said Dr. Kim Carter, assistant professor in the Department of Social Work. “As African Americans we are socialized by oppression in this country,” Carter continued. “How do we rethink that?”

Others on the faculty, staff and community panel included: John Cunningham, president of the Edwardsville NAACP and Kalisha Turner, advisor in Academic Advising.

Brown says she hopes the conference served to educate people about the true meaning of the Movement, encourage students to become more actively involved in social justice and promote a continued dialogue about social injustice, race and equity among the campus community.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville provides students with a high quality, affordable education that prepares them for successful careers and lives of purpose. Built on the foundation of a broad-based liberal education, and enhanced by hands-on research and real-world experiences, the academic preparation SIUE students receive equips them to thrive in the global marketplace and make our communities better places to live. Situated on 2,660 acres of beautiful woodland atop the bluffs overlooking the natural beauty of the Mississippi River’s rich bottomland and only a short drive from downtown St. Louis, the SIUE campus is home to a diverse student body of more than 14,000.

Photos:

Seen at the podium is Venessa Brown, PhD, associate chancellor, Office of Diversity and Inclusion, with the Faculty, Staff and Community Panel.

The conference opening keynote speaker was Jessica C. Harris, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Historical Studies.

Speaking on the SIUE Student Panel was Melvina Chaney, a senior majoring in psychology and president of Black Girls Rock.

Others SIUE student panelists pictured are (L-R) Gary Prichett, a junior majoring in communications; Veronica Delgado, a graduate student majoring in art therapy; Raechel Lashelle Stacy, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences; and Dillon Santoni, a senior majoring in political science and student representative on the SIU Board of Trustees.