Student Activism Awareness Week begins with current events informational
University of Maryland, College Park chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s Student Activist Awareness Week kicked off Monday evening with a “chill sesh,” where pressing issues presented in the news were discussed.
The meeting featured a series of topics ranging from riots in Hong Kong to Trump’s impeachment.
One particular UMCP NAACP member was adamant over the controversies in Hong Kong.
“The protesters in Ferguson did the same thing and y’all got scared.”junior letters and sciences major Anu Faboro said.
Hong Kong has been protesting the proposed Extradition Law Amendment, which would allow the Hong Kong government to take requests from other countries and mainland China for the extradition of criminal suspects.
Some feel that the assertive method and massive amount of protesters is similar to the demonstrations that took place in Ferguson, Missouri following the killing of an unarmed Black man, Mike Brown in 2014.
Attendees were asked to share their thoughts and opinions on the varying topics throughout the event to engage necessary dialogues.
Faboro believes that dialogues such as this are necessary in bridging communities.
“It makes people really aware of issues,” Faboro said. “It allows people to understand there are issues that affect us personally and understand ways they can be allies.”
S.A.A.W. is designed to promote minority community involvement and increase social awareness among students on campus. The chapter has also done a voter registration drive and plan on hosting more events this week such as a paint and sip and a”know your rights” themed Jeopardy game night.
“People are free to vent, give their opinions and really have a safe space where we’re able to facilitate discussions and talk about current events that really affect the minority community,” said Elonna Jones, president of the UMCP NAACP chapter.
The event is part of the chapter’s attempts to revive student activism. It shows students on campus ways they can get involved in addressing societal and communal problems beyond social media.
“The spirit of activism on campus is pretty much dead,” junior African American studies major and NAACP Programming Director Venia Imel said. “I think that people coming out to this event, kind of reminds us of how far we've come in terms of learning about ourselves and the people around us.”
This event is the first of S.A.A.W.’s five-part series dedicated to improving students’ social and global awareness.