As he waited for the Black History Month March of Remembrance to begin Monday night, Ball State University freshman William Foster looked around at the small group of people gathered in the cold.
"Right now our prayers are that the number of people involved in our organization will show up," he said through a gray scarf covering his face.
Monday's March of Remembrance, the second at Ball State, was the first to be co-sponsored by Men of Color, said Black Student Association president Devin Day. The march began at Shafer Tower and ended at the Multicultural Center.
As Men of Color chairman James Scott stood at the foot of Shafer Tower before the procession began, he urged a group of more than 25 marchers to keep in mind the first black students who attended Ball State.
"The whole point is to remember what's going on," Scott said. "An action is worth a thousand words. Remember your struggle."
The marchers began the procession by raising signs, many with pictures of prominent black Americans such as Rosa Parks and scientist Ernest Just. One featured a picture of a raised black fist and the words 'Celebrating Black Power' printed below it.
Marcher Lawrence Scully raised his fist in a similar fashion, changing hands every few minutes because of the numbing cold.
"I got it from the poster at the Olympics," Scully said. "It's a symbol of unity and togetherness."
Scott said marching on McKinley Avenue was important in light of the acts of hate that took place there in Fall 2005.
"You saw young ladies on campus getting spit on and with trash thrown at them," Scott said. "This march isn't just for the celebrities but for anybody who helped with the struggle."
Some of the marchers walked down the avenue singing "We Shall Overcome," a song tied to the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Several people joined the marchers as they made their way to the Multicultural Center. Cars stopped as the procession crossed the intersection at University and McKinley avenues. A few drivers honked their horns to show support for the marchers.
Scott said he was pleased with the reaction of passers-by; it was an encouraging sign.
"We can do this without police, without escorts, without anybody yelling anything derogatory at us," he said.
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