Chapter One: All Children of God

“But there was no evidence against [Walter] McMillan—no evidence except that he was an African-American man involved in an adulterous interracial affair, which meant he was reckless and possibly dangerous, even if he had no prior criminal history and a good reputation. Maybe that was evidence enough.” Bryan Stevenson, Just Mercy

Just last week, a series of racist flyers were posted around campus—one of which was entitled “Why White Women Shouldn’t Date Black Men”. It listed several “reasons”, such as that black men are abusive, will give you STDs, and other incredibly hateful things. Worse yet, these fliers were posted for all to see in academic buildings where students walk by each and every day Needless to say, this flyer and the other flyers caused a great deal of hurt to the campus community.

Not long before that, racist messages were spray painted on the wall of an academic building at Eastern Michigan University, just a short drive away. It didn’t help that this was happening around the same time headlines were made that more unarmed black men became victims of police brutality such as Terence Crutcher and Keith Lamont Scott. What’s more, there was a protest on campus of a debate led by a student organization regarding the effectiveness of the Black Lives Matter movement.

And all of this happened within the span of two weeks…barely.

Bottom line, many people do not feel safe on their own campus—a place for scholarship and growth and a place where they should be able to be themselves and reach their potential. However, many have felt as though their hurt, pain, and struggle are not validated.

Walter McMillan didn’t feel safe in his own environment, either. In fact, he was sentenced to death row for a murder he didn’t commit. An otherwise decent person, the evidence that he was “bad news” was the fact that he was romantically involved with a white woman. Walter McMillan wasn’t given a voice in this ordeal and was unable to have anyone advocate for him.

While we as a nation have come a long way, it is far too clear that tensions are unfortunately strained. Divisions seem starker than ever. There is a long road ahead towards the improvement of race relations as well as our greater sense of justice and unity in this world. In the Year of Mercy, may we stand in solidarity with those who are suffering in any way, and be truly compassionate. May we all be one in Him, acknowledging that our differences are beautiful and that we are all children of God.

Jenny Ozor is a senior and is on the intern cohort for 2016-17 as the Social Justice intern. She enjoys blogging, volunteering, and puns!