Racism in Minnesota? Really? In the wake of a Facebook scandal that has rocked the UMD community, students and community members will join together on Monday, May 3, as a united community standing together against all forms of racism. UMD students will make a 4-mile march beginning at 10 a.m. at the Washington Center and ending at Kirby Plaza, UMD.
In an unprecedented expression of unity, students from the University of Wisconsin, Superior, the College of St. Scholastica, Lake Superior College and Fond du Lac Tribal Community College and local high schools are planning simultaneous rallies and marches in solidarity with UMD students.
St. Scholastica students will walk out of classes on the main campus at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 3, to rally in solidarity with UMD students. Many faculty and staff will be joining the one-hour rally. An American Indian drum group will begin playing at 10 a.m. as the call to walk-out of class and community members will meet on the front lawn of the Science building at St. Scholastica.
The rally will feature local musicians and guest faculty speaker Dr. Sabah Alwan. Northlanders are encouraged to join with students at one of the area colleges to show unity in rejection of racism of all forms.
At approximately 11 a.m., St. Scholastica marchers will make their way east on College Street to march one mile to meet and join with UMD marchers coming from the east, forming one group of unified marchers at approximately 11:45.
Participants will wear black in solidarity with UMD students and march in silence to symbolize the silence of oppression.
Simultaneous events are being planned at UWS, Lake Superior College, and Fond du Lac Tribal Community College, and several area high schools and middle schools. Organizers expect large turnouts and estimate up to 1,000 participants across the region across all
campuses.
* STUDENT COALITION AGAINST RACISM (SCAR) is a coalition of students from UMD, UWS, Lake Superior College, College of St. Scholastica, and Fond du Lac Tribal Community College and area youth that recently organized to take a stand against racism of all forms in our region and systems of oppression.
.