Winthrop University Students Unite for Black Lives, All Lives

The purpose of this project was to research and compose a soft news story that conveyed the emotions of Winthrop University students who protested during a die-in and injustice march on December 9, 2014. They were demonstrating solidarity with those who protested after two officers were not indicted for killing unarmed black males Michael Brown and Eric Garner. Primary research was conducted through recorded observations of the demonstrations and interviews with the protesters. Facts and statistics were obtained from secondary sources, such as the NAACP website and news sources, such as USA Today. About 100 students of diverse races, 2 percent of the student population, participated in the protests, but most were African. As per FBI reports, during a seven-year period ending in 2012, a white officer killed a black person nearly two times a week in the U.S. Eighteen percent of the blacks killed were under age 21, compared to 8.7 percent of whites. Protesters said they were tired of police brutality and racism, which is why they participated. Students also said that the solution starts with crossing color lines to have open conversations about race, respecting authority and voting. This project is important because it addresses the larger issue of racial discrimination in America. Protesting challenges the status quo, which is momentum for change. Though the movement is nationwide, the activists at Winthrop have the power to impact the future; they have taken the first step by publicly acknowledging that racism does still exist