The one of the standout experiences of the program that didn’t occur at my placement was the evening that a group of us attended a protest which was organized following the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile. The events of that week sparked outrage nationwide, and many felt the tragedy on a deeply personal level. The protest was organized in order to defend Black lives, and to let some people tell their experiences as they related to injustice done to themselves and the Black communities that they are a part of. I myself enjoyed the protest. Though the events of the week were deeply troubling, the protest was a place that allowed everybody to vent and express their feelings surrounded by Black folks, and supported by all others who elected to join in. I felt that the space took care to acknowledge mixed race Black folks, which was nice on a personal level for me. I enjoyed myself at the protest despite the heavy events that made the gathering necessary. Following the protest, many of us who attended (and Michael) met up and had a discussion about our feelings on the week’s events, and for me that was the best part of the night. I enjoyed to opportunity to listen to everybody’s feelings on the night, and that led to a wide range of discussions. It’s not often that we get to come together and broach sensitive issues in a natural and organic way, without a larger organizing force or motivation bringing us together (such as the DCBRP discussion on race a few weeks ago). That was definitely a stand out evening for me.
