A small group of students gathered last night in One Wheelock to read and listen to poems, stand-up comedy and music about black lives. For 18 years, Oct. 22 has marked a national day of action responding to police brutality and criminalization.
Organizers called the event “Some of Us Did Not Die,” from the words of poet June Jordan, as a reminder that people are paying attention to issues afflicting the black community, Sadia Hassan ’13 said.
Leaning into the microphone, Yomalis Rosario ’15 read from Jordan’s 1977 poem “I Must Become a Menace to My Enemies.”
“How many of my brothers and my sisters / will they kill / before I teach myself / retaliation?” Rosario asked.
The event aimed to promote solidarity among attendees, Hassan said. She added that she believes students should hold themselves accountable for being a part of Dartmouth, which she called “an institution built on slavery.”
Being black, she said, makes it more difficult to be a student at the College.
Hassan joined Rosario to read an open letter written by Ferguson protestors and allies, alternating lines and stanzas as they stated their refusal to stand by while unarmed children become victims of police brutality.
“We will disrupt life until we can live,” they read.
Darren Wilson, a white police officer, shot and killed Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, on Aug. 9. — spurring riots in Ferguson, Missouri, and discussion across the country.
Andrew Beaubien ’16 said he did not plan on attending the event but had come to One Wheelock to perform on piano for the usual Wednesday open mic night. Once he learned of the gathering and its purpose, however, Beaubien chose to perform songs that would remind everyone of the recent events in Ferguson while asking why violence occurs.
Tien Truong ’16, a member of the women of color collective, performed stand-up comedy about being recognized on campus by people she had never met, who insisted she had a different name and that they were acquaintances.
Though others gave her false names, Truong said, she is still searching for her own identity at Dartmouth.
Joshua Echebiri ’14 said he feels a responsibility to get involved whenever students take action “in the name of injustice or dialogue.”
Echebiri read lyrics to a song about the stereotypes and cultural obstacles that hinder the ability of black youth to succeed in many pursuits.
Rosario said that while she had hoped to see a larger turnout, she still enjoyed the sense of solidarity among those who attended.
The gathering is among several initiatives at Dartmouth responding to recent events in Ferguson, including the establishment of the Black Ivy Coalition — a group of black students coordinating across Ivy League institutions that works to make change on national, state and local levels.
Black Life Matters, a grassroots organization, is sponsoring a national week of action with events spanning from coast to coast.
Rosario is a former member of The Dartmouth senior staff.
