Students engage race matters during community Black Lives Matter dialogue session


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Students and community gather for a conversation about "Black Lives Matter" at the Veterans Memorial Library on Sept. 15, 2015.

An open dialogue on Black Lives Matter brought Mount Pleasant residents, activists and students together to discuss the impact of local police overreach.

The Tuesday presentation was the first in a series of community action meetings on Black Lives Matter. Members of the Mount Pleasant Area Diversity Group -- some of whom are Central Michigan University professors – held the event at the downtown Veterans Memorial Library.

Organizers used the time to raise awareness, share stories and offer local solutions to policing problems. They also brainstormed ways residents can get involved with Black Lives Matter.

"We share these stories with you to show that the incidents that started (police shootings) can happen anywhere," said Norma Bailey, an emeritus professor and well-known community activist.

Presentations touched on the evolution of the movement, the lives lost, and the links to other policing issues -- such as prisons for profit and the war on drugs.

The most poignant moments, however, were testimonials from professors of color who say they have been victims of police stereotyping and discrimination in Mount Pleasant.

Emeritus professor Diane Newby said a police officer stopped her at night for a routine traffic stop. The officer then asked her if there were any weapons in her vehicle. According to an internal diversity group report, other faculty and staff of color at CMU shared the same experiences.

Even Newby’s son, who is now 35, dealt with the same type of police overreach – so much so that Newby put him through boarding school to get him out of the predominantly white Isabella County.

Newby’s son is not unique, said Joyce Baugh, a political science professor. Students of color deal with the same issues every day in Mount Pleasant.

“My young black students have told me that some African American students don't drive down Mission Street and take side streets so they don’t get hassled by police,” Baugh said.

The group plans to meet twice in October, once at CMU and once more at Veterans Memorial Library. 

Until community groups can combat police brutality on a national and local scale, Baugh said the group will keep raising awareness.

 “We forget how much we can change people’s minds within our own circles,” Baugh said. “Talk to your family and the people around you. That’s the kind of community education we’re talking about.”

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About Ben Solis

Ben Solis is the Managing Editor of Central Michigan Life. He has served as a city and university ...

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