Students marched from the Art and Journalism Building to the Art Museum yesterday in silence, bringing awareness to the ongoing struggle for civil and gay rights.
The event, "History in the Making," drew parallels between the two social struggles.
As they marched down the sidewalks, people stopped and stared.
Tiffany Washington, assistant director of Student Life, said the march was empowering for those who participated.
When they got to the Art Museum, students silently filed through the doors, walking past signs that read "No Blacks Allowed" and "No Gays Allowed." They solemnly walked up the stairs to a multipurpose room, and took their seats for a presentation about overcoming struggles.
It began with an original poem by Michael Farmer about black people's lifestyles, identity and containment by society.
"What will you overcome tomorrow?" he asked, challenging those in the crowd. "Think fast."
The event included song and dance presentations and presentations about encouraging civil rights, gay rights and gay rights among black women.
Aaron Price, freshman photojournalism major, danced to a song which he said expressed his own personal journey with acceptance.
"We should be proud of who we are," he said. "When I got done, I felt good about it."
Freshman telecommunications major Lanisha Tidwell said she loved it.
"It was a weight lifter," she said. "I wanted to cry the whole time, and now I feel good, emotionally."
This is the first time that the Black Student Association and Spectrum have collaborated outside of Unity Week, Washington said, and she hopes the groups will continue to work together.
"Civil rights isn't a black issue or a white issue," she said. "It's a human being issue."
Students of every race and culture were there, Washington said.
Toward the end of the presentation, Deontae Vaughn, president of BSA, talked about the victory that's won when people overcome prejudice.
"When they let it ring from every village ... and every city, we can speed up that day when we can all say, in the words of the old Negro spiritual, ‘Free at last, free at last. Thank God Almighty, we are free at last."
One of the BSA student leaders led an exercise to close the event. He asked students to stand if they supported civil rights and the rights of others.
"We are a new generation," he said. "It's a new day for justice."
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