Pitt Black Action Society holds vigil for victims of violence

Eleven victims’ photos lined a table in front of the William Pitt Union patio… Eleven victims’ photos lined a table in front of the William Pitt Union patio Friday.

Black, green and red candles, the colors of Pitt’s Black Action Society, surrounded the framed pictures of young people who lost their lives to senseless acts of violence at the 2 p.m. candlelight vigil hosted by BAS.

About 100 students gathered around as BAS members approached the microphone and spoke about each victim.

One BAS member recounted the story of the first victim, James Byrd Jr., who was murdered at age 49.

In 1998, Byrd, a black man, accepted a ride from three white males, who drove him to a remote area in Jasper, Texas. The men beat Byrd, urinated on him and tied his ankles to chains. They then dragged him three miles from the back of their truck. Classified as a hate crime, the perpetrators were given sentences of execution by lethal injection and life imprisonment.

After each story, the presenters lit a candle in honor of the victim.

Halim Genus, president of the Black Action Society and Student Government Board member, said in a speech that the vigil was in response to the recent events surrounding Trayvon Martin.

One month ago, an unarmed 17-year-old black teenager, Martin, was shot and killed in Florida by George Zimmerman, a community watch coordinator.

Zimmerman, of Hispanic and Caucasian descent, claimed he shot Martin as an act of self defense. As news of the incident spread nationally, allegations of racial motivations arose.

“Violence,” Genus said, “is extremely detrimental to the sanctity and preservation of communities, of our community.”

The one-hour event included vocal performances such as Pitt senior Laci Mosley’s rendition of the song “Lean On Me.”

Midway through the piece, the audience joined her, clapping in unison.

Pitt senior Erica Fernandez recited a poem she composed after she listened to a recording of the phone call that Zimmerman, Martin’s killer, made to the police in regards to the Martin case.

In her poem, Fernandez questioned, “If he had blonde hair and blue eyes, would he have been shot down?”

Genus said that the vigil was held to promote peace and unity. Unity — or “umoja” in Swahili — is one of BAS’s principles.

“We will create a united front by mobilizing awareness in our community,” he said.

A second principle of BAS that Genus referred to was “kuumba,” the Swahili word for creativity.

In accordance with these principles, BAS showcased their unity and creativity during the event through the power of the spoken word and the beauty of song and poetry.

Pitt senior Evan Walker expressed his feelings through an original poem about race relations in the United States.

“You may be able to lynch my body, but my soul is unbreakable,” he read.

Walker said that as a young African-American male, he had never been afraid of stereotypes.

“I figured I never fit the stereotype. But incidents like this bring it close to home,” he said, referring to Martin.

In addition to the student voices expressed at the vigil, BAS adviser Sherdina Harper spoke on the idea of perceptions.

Harper said that often times a person’s perception becomes their reality.

“The perception of a hoodie is a gangbanger. The perception of a homosexual is that he is carrying sexually transmitted diseases,” she said. “We have to challenge ourselves not to allow our perceptions to become our realities.”

Harper challenged students to recreate perceptions and to unify themselves. In efforts to visualize this unity, Harper requested that the audience join hands.

Phillips closed the event and addressed the audience directly.

“Students,” she said. “We are in a place where we are protected. Be thankful you are in a position to know better and do better.”