Around two dozen Missouri Western State University students turned out to support protests taking place on the University of Missouri campus.
“We’re here to stand in solidarity with Mizzou. To show that we support them to the fullest,” said Lachelle Billups, a Senior at Western. “A student at Missouri State University called for Missouri Black Collegians all to stage a peaceful demonstration today on their campuses.”
Western students linked arms and read statements on the need for intolerance of discrimination on campus.
“Systematic oppression, similar to institutionalized however it is specifically enforced by the government, the laws and the police,” one student read.
“Racism it’s far easy to define,” another student read. “For treatment of or violence against people because of their race the belief that some races of people are better than others.”
Ravyn Highsmith is a Sophomore at Western and said there are subtle racism actions at Western but it’s starting to improve.
“I definitely believe that with my class it’s starting to become very little,” Highsmith said. “I do believe that continuing this movement that Mizzou started that we can actually maybe even eliminate the continuous discrimination on campus.”
Billups said when she first started going to school she noticed some issues with discrimination.
“It wasn’t pretty bad but it was comments made in class or you got to stand up and speak for your whole race. With us being a minority on this campus oftentimes you’re the only black person in your whole class and the teacher would call on you just because you have a better understanding of the whole culture. Sometimes that’s not the case. You can’t just speculate that you grew up around African Americans just because I am an African American,” Billups said. “I don’t think it’s right that you have to speak up for a whole entire race, me as an individual.”
Students said they hope to encourage awareness.
“It’s mostly about educating. We want people to be educated so they’re not naive and they can also empower others,” Highsmith said.
“The institution is oppressive wither or not the individuals maintain that those practices have oppressive intentions,” a student read.
Other universities around the state also held similar events today.