On Thursday, the UConn’s African American Cultural Center hosted this year’s Black History Month Opening Ceremony, featuring invited keynote speakers Lesley McSpadden and Benjamin Crump.
McSpadden is the mother of the late Michael Brown, an unarmed eighteen-year-old who was shot six times and killed by white police officer Darren Wilson in in Ferguson, Miss. A grand jury failed to indict Wilson, spurring countless civil rights protests in Ferguson and across the country. Although it was difficult for McSpadden to speak about the murder of her son, she said she knew she must speak up about the unjust justice system.
Following was Attorney Benjamin Crump, who is known for his work on several cases similar to Brown’s, such as the shooting of Trayvon Martin and the death of Martin Lee Anderson. Attorney Crump shared wise words about the justice system and the repeated murdering of the African American community. He stressed the fact that we all must speak up about these issues, use social media platforms and host events to bring awareness to these problems.
Crump is an extremely successful lawyer who has done much work in the civil rights field. According to his website, he was named one of Ebony Magazine Power 100 Most Influential African Americans and has received the NAACP Thurgood Marshall Award, among dozens of other prestigious honors.
Black Lives Matter activists (Flickr/ The All-Nite Images)
The night also featured an opening address by Dr. Willena Kimpson Price, the director of the AACC. Following, there were two choir performances from Hartford Public High School Chorus and UConn’s Voices of Freedom. Attendees also viewed an original song performed by UConn students Richard Miller, Alyssa Hughes and Jordan Williams.