WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ– Neither the freezing rain nor frigid wind could thwart the efforts of the Monmouth University students participating in the
“Wake up MU: A Time for Awareness” protest, December 5, 2014.
Morgan Spann, a Monmouth student, organized the protest with the help of the office of Student Activities in an effort to raise awareness for the societal issues and current events that have taken place in the country within the preceding months. Commemorating Michael Brown, Eric Garner and Trayvon Martin, students were encouraged to speak affront the crowd of any discrimination or oppression they’ve experienced throughout their lives, black and white alike.
The chants and signs exhibited expressed an air of equality, shedding light not only on the many afflictions towards the African American community, but the numerous ways that the country can band together in an effort to do away with the constraints of discrimination, seen notably through slogans on signs such as “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”.
As the exhibition ran its course, students were then urged to sign the event’s banner, reading “Wake up MU” and begin a march around campus while proclaiming the same. Passerby’s everywhere recorded and photographed the march as it occurred, amazed to see the procession occur throughout the campus.
[slideshow_deploy id=’8792′]
Not to be taken lightly are the ideals exemplified throughout the protest. Morgan Spann noted that “Once you raises your voices, then change will come”, suggesting that the voice of many was the true catalyst to societal change, and that we had it within our own hands to make this nation the non-discriminant country it was established to be.
Every individual who organized the event and every individual that attended was of pivotal importance to the success of the event and can rest assured knowing they’ve taken part in a powerful declaration.
To continue spreading awareness, students are encouraged to attend the National March Against Police Violence in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, December 13. The School of Social Work, Department of History and Anthropology, Gender Studies Program, and Department of Political Science and Sociology are sponsoring a trip to the capital, allowing students the opportunity to attend for free. Students are urged to reach out to Doctor, Johanna Foster if interested.
