United for the Unity March to Selma

Peaceful protestors during the Unity March on February 11. Photo Credit / Tambria Lee
Peaceful protestors during the Unity March on February 11. Photo Credit / Tambria Lee
Peaceful protestors during the Unity March on February 11.
Photo Credit / Tambria Lee

By Tambria Lee
SC Contributing Writer

On February 11, the African American Heritage Month Committee, ESU Student Senate, and the Office of Multicultural Affairs teamed up to provide student with “A Unity March to Selma.”

The event called students of all backgrounds to join together and march throughout the streets of East Stroudsburg to raise community awareness about the work of Martin Luther King Jr. and others, in their quest for racial equity.

The African American Heritage Month Committee, Student Senate, and The Office of Multicultural Affairs also sponsored 50 ESU students to view the film, Semla, for free. There was also a booth at the location, which created an opportunity for those who aren’t registered to vote.

Marquis Abraham is a senior at East Stroudsburg University, studying Communication Studies, and she is one of the many students who participated in the unity march.

She said, “Our generation of activists is so lazy. The simplest thing makes us not care anymore. Martin Luther King Jr. and others who march in Selma were fighting against much greater risks. They could have been killed. What’s the worst that can happen to us? We get cold.”

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” These are the powerful words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.. Selma is a powerful historical-drama film, released in the United States theatres on January 9th, 2015.

The film depicts the struggle that Martin Luther King Jr. and other protestors went through in attempts to gain racial equity in Selma, Alabama.

Due to the recent killings of American black men, such as Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, and Michael Brown, 2015 is looking very similar to MLK days.

The recent protests in major cities like Ferguson, Philadelphia, Chicago, and New York have shone light on the issue that black lives in America matters. More people of different walks of life are coming together against this issue.

This is a trend that has even migrated onto university campuses. All of the Pennsylvania State of Higher Education (PASSHE) universities have had a #BlackLivesMatters protest on their campus, including East Stroudsburg University. ESU’s protest received various media attention from Channel 13 News to Philadelphia News.

The protest had over 60 university students and faculty in attendance.

The protest also received a lot of backlash on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Yik Yak. However, the backlash did not stop the protest from occurring and there are more protests to be had to ensure that there is peace on ESU campus.

If you are interested in being a part any peaceful protests please contact the Office of Multicultural Affairs, located at 96 Normal Street to get involved.

Email Tambria at:
tlee@live.esu.edu