Students respond to city-wide turmoil

Emotions erupted on campus after the death of Freddie Gray on April 19. Students praised the peaceful protests throughout Baltimore and condemned the violence that followed.

Rioters looted and burned stores, set police cars on fire and threw rocks and bottles at police officers. Hundreds have been arrested since Saturday.

The severity of the violence was not expected because of the peaceful nature of last week’s protests.

Hopkins students have largely supported nonviolent demonstrations, and many participated in a city-wide student protest on Wednesday.

Janice Bonsu, the current executive president of the Student Government Association (SGA), participated in Wednesday’s protest that began on the Homewood Campus.

She shared her opinions on the riots and protests in Baltimore.

“What happened these past few days was the product of oppression that started way before our time. The violence hurt all of us in a way that we never thought was possible, and though we all come from all over the country and the world, we were all united as one ‘Baltimore’ and will hopefully continue that,” Bonsu wrote in an email to The News-Letter.

“It warmed my heart to see all of the students rise up to help our city, and made the simple words of Hopkins being an “anchor-institution” mean so much more to me, as I saw it come alive,” Bonsu wrote.

“I believe that we, as Hopkins students, realize that we aren’t just squatting in Baltimore for these four years, but we are really living in the city, and its successes and failures are our successes and failures. I hope that the violence subsides, but that we don’t go back to “normal.” It’s clear that we need a new and sustainable normal, and that’s what we are all fighting for now,” she wrote.

“I truly didn’t expect them to become violent. I knew that was a possibility,” senior Prith Roychowdury said. “When I heard about the so-called purge that was being organized starting at the mall, I expected things were going to get worse.”

Students noted that media investigations have focused on violent events. Senior Dillon Ward discussed the violence portrayed in the media specifically in relation to police actions.

“It’s always focusing on the violent stuff and not the peaceful protests. And it doesn’t even focus on how, when police are met with violence, they also react with violence,” Ward said. “It’s a reaction to how people are already being treated, so you react to violence with violence.”

Sophomore Dikshant Malla, who attended both Wednesday’s protest on campus and the march to Pennsylvania Station, voiced similar opinions on police brutality.

“In terms of the violence that was escalating over the weekend, I think that one of the things that I find problematic is that there’s a lot of criticism on the part of the individuals who are looting and engaging in violent tactics in the protests,” Malla said. “I think what’s important is that it’s a question of police brutality and how there needs to be a reform in terms of law enforcement engaging with citizens.”

Kwame Alston, a freshman representative on the Executive Board of the Black Student Union (BSU), also raised serious concerns associated with the protests and police response portrayed in the media. He highlighted the media’s focus on the violent rather than the many peaceful ones, particularly emphasizing that media stations keep showing footage of Camden Yards.

“I feel as though that’s really problematic because that’s not speaking to the entire thing,” Alston said.

There are powerful peaceful protests that have taken place in Baltimore as well. Alston discussed the definition of an entire group based on a few individuals’ actions.

“I feel like one of the problems already is that blacks in America are characterized by the few actions — like the actions of the many. They’re not looked at because there are a few actions by people that are bad,” Alston said. “And in every group of people there are always going to be a few knuckleheads, so I don’t think that’s really fair.”

Freshman Princess Sutherland also speaks to the characterization of a group of people based on a few violent actions.

“People need to understand that not every person of color acts in this way, and not every white person is racist,” Sutherland said. “Being an African-American person, of course I have black men in my family, so no one should, as part of their lifestyle, have to tell their child, ‘Oh, you can’t go out after a certain time, and you can’t do this at a certain time.’ Especially small children; they’re involved in this as well. I think it’s important to educate children.”

Many students discussed their personal reactions to the violence in Baltimore.

“As the week has progressed, I have watched peaceful protests turn into violent riots, and I’m saddened by the destruction of the City of Baltimore,” Sutherland said. “I understand that people are angry — I’m angry too, and I know there’s a lot of built-up anger over the events that have been occurring. But the rioting and looting should never be a solution for our problems, especially when destroying your own community.”

Irene Ferguson, director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA), helped provide context for the actions and some of the events taking place in the city.

“In fairness to those young people that were looting and the like, I think for some it’s such a sense of frustration that that’s the way they felt. They had to vent or to share and let people know just how frustrated they are,” Ferguson said.

In looking at these riots, Ferguson did not emphasize the violence itself but instead at its true significance and origins.

“I do think that when things get that bad, people should really stop and listen and look and pay attention that there is a problem here — a problem that needs to be addressed because this is a group that’s been marginalized,” Ferguson said.

Over the past couple days, Hopkins students have taken part in progressive efforts in the city.

“I think that one of the things that I especially found very heartfelt was that there were a lot of Hopkins students who went with people to protest and to the clean-up site. They’re not necessarily born and raised in Baltimore, and they’re just college students here,” Malla said.

Jason Plush, junior and SGA executive-president-elect, reflected upon the community’s drive to rebuild Baltimore’s reputation.

“The efforts of community members and students to come together to assist in cleanups, organize peaceful rally marches, and aid in the restoration of the city is tremendous,” Jason Plush wrote in an email to The News-Letter. “I’m proud to be a part of a city that is so passionate about justice.”

Senior Daniel Elkin helped in the efforts to repair the city in the aftermath of the violent riots.

“By the time that a few friends and I reached the intersection of North and Pennsylvania, most of the debris from the previous night was gone. We were subsequently directed to the Mondawmin mall and then finally to the West Side Shopping center where we swept up broken glass in front of a looted video game store. The owner of the GameStop remarked to a friend that he would have no choice but to permanently close the store as it had sustained both severe fire and water damage the night before,” Elkin wrote in an email to The News-Letter.

“Rather than sitting in my dorm room and posting a Facebook status lauding rioting as, “the language of the unheard,” I actually saw how the unheard suffer at the hands of rioters. That store owner, who by the way was a minority himself, lost his livelihood, and will be letting go his employees at the end of the week,” he wrote.

Adelaide Morphett, sophomore and SGA executive secretary, discussed her desire to help the community.

“I was in correspondence with the administration about what we can do as an SGA and how we can reach out. I asked if I could send an email of a list of places and things that students could do to help out the community,” Morphett said.

Morphett mentioned that the priority right now is to make sure everyone stays safe, and there is no way to know what will happen next.

“Personally, I want to get involved. I think it’s so incredible that we are here while this is such a textbook moment in history,” Morphett said. “It’s tough to know where your place is between getting involved and showing that you care about the situation and care about the cause and also making sure that you’re safe.”

In light of the events, Morphett commented on the significance of this historic moment in Baltimore.

“I’m really, really proud to be part of a city that’s so passionate about civil rights and that even though I don’t really support the way that it’s being executed, I still would like to identify myself as a Baltimorean and am exhilarated by the fact that I’m here while it’s happening and that people are willing to put themselves on the line to stand for what’s right, Morphett said. “This is our own civil rights movement.”