About 25 students attended a summit to discuss future initiatives for the group.
Students joined members of the New Black Life Action Coalition, or New BLAC, Wednesday night to continue the conversation of race on campus.
Around 25 students attended a summit hosted by New BLAC to talk about the group’s goals and projects, as well as the effect of the movements in Athens.
“We really hope to gain membership, and it’s about quality over quantity,” said John Brown VI, a senior studying painting and drawing. “We’re looking for constructive feedback.”
The summit occurred two days after the group placed about 100 cardboard tombstones on College Green for a candlelight vigil. Monday’s vigil served to honor those who have been killed as a result of police brutality.
“We’re a coalition of multicultural students looking to make a change,” Brown VI said. “We want to make an effect on other students who go here, faculty and staff.”
One of the goals of the group is try to develop cultural competency classes. Some members said they have already met with Ohio University President Roderick McDavis and Ryan Lombardi, vice president for Student Affairs, to get the project started.
“We want to paint this picture of what we want the classes to look like,” said Olivia Wallace, a junior studying visual anthropology and a founding member of New BLAC. “We want to make sure that the classroom is progressive and upbeat and that it’s more than just a textbook conversation.”
New BLAC will meet with OU officials again after spring break to discuss the matter, Brown VI said.
Students in the room were broken into groups to discuss recent activist movements, such as #ReclaimMLK and #NewBlack, which aim to end racial injustice, among other goals.
Discussions also focused on events from last semester, such as the #HandsUpWalkOut protest, which attracted about 200 students in October.
The recap also included subject matters such as the death of Michael Brown, protests in Ferguson, Missouri and how media handled the events.
“There is this breeding of anger and injustice that caused people in Ferguson to react so violently,” said Ryant Taylor, a senior studying English and a columnist for The Post. “The media did horrible damage to what could potentially come from Ferguson.”
Overall, many group members said they hope to continue to use the summits as a way to spark discussion on important topics.
“I think it’s needed because it’s just a necessary thing,” Brown VI said. “I want to be surrounded by people who care.”
The next summit meeting has not been scheduled yet, Brown VI said. New BLAC meetings are tentatively scheduled for Sundays at 8 p.m., though there will not be a meeting this Sunday.
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