St. Kate’s students organize and rally against racism

On Sunday, April 18th, just after 2 pm, a group of St. Catherine University students gathered outside next to the water tower on Snelling clad in all black, with signs and a fire in them to make a change regarding the racism that is ingrained in our society and has been for centuries.

Organized by Sarah Miller ‘24 (Nursing), Louise Ba ‘24 (Political Science, Economics, Public Policy), Melody Her ‘24 (Political Science, Economics), and Darling Lee ‘22 (Fashion Merchandising, Business), the march began as a way to put action behind the reposted Instagram posts. In just five days, word got around the St. Kate’s community, and we rallied together, forming a group of over 75 students. The march started on Snelling Ave, winding down Ford Pkwy and cutting over to Fairview Ave and right through the gates of St. Kate’s.

Organizers Louise Ba '24, Sarah Miller '24, Melody Her '24, and Darling Lee '22

Before we set off on our route, each leader, as well as a few more volunteers, spoke in an “open megaphone” way. Miller’s speech was short, but her defining point was that her biggest fear is getting the call that her father was shot and killed by the police.

Ba’s speech was affirming with a reflection on her Senegalese heritage, saying, “My Senegalese ancestry is defined by the black kings and queens of the land. Tall, strong black men and beautiful strong black women, and my father looks like George Floyd. Out of respect for myself, I will be angry.”

Her spoke passionately about the lack of action from members of office. “The system is on their side, and they’re defending it. They don’t have to be afraid of their own skin. When they are not personally affected by the corrupt system, they are in no hurry to change it. Their silence is LOUD.” She ended with a popular protest chant, “THIS is what community looks like.”

The last of the leaders to speak was Lee. Her speech was formatted as “A Letter To Racism”, and she spoke of the anger and pain that it had left her and so many others with. She concluded with strength, saying, “I’m here to tell you that you’re not welcome. As long as I live, you will not live comfortably amongst us. We will unite and stand against you.”

Each leader thanked the crowd for coming to support such an important cause, then Ba opened up space for members of the crowd to speak. The first to take her up on her offer was Chando Horvath ‘24 (Women’s Studies, International Development). She came up and took the megaphone firmly, her defining point being that this is only the beginning. “We cannot stop here. We have to keep going. I don’t want to have to tell my son and my daughter to be afraid of the police. Today I am fighting for their rights,” said Horvath.

Mikayla Patrick ‘21 (Political Science, Public Policy, Economics and Spanish minor) spoke next. She spoke about a personal anecdote in one of her classes. “Last week, someone shared a story of an internship where she had the space made to talk about the events in her office, and the directors came in and said ‘This is not the place for that.’” She made the point that it is our job as Katies to change the system.

Fatima Ahmed, a St Kate’s alumni, was the next to speak. She works right in downtown Minneapolis and spoke about being tired of seeing the National Guard every time she walks out for lunch. Her positivity is the only thing she feels she has left to give to the movement.

Finally, Kate Yapp ‘23 (Communications, Political Science, Marketing and Philosophy minor) came up as a white ally and stressed the importance of local elections and supporting BIPOC voices.

The march itself was incredibly powerful, with chants and yells echoing up and down the sidewalk. As a group, we got honks of solidarity from cars passing us, and the energy was palpable. It was over much too quickly, and we ended up in the O'Shaughnessy parking lot, where we gathered as a big group to create chalk art outside of the CDC.

While this event may have seemed small in comparison to the protests in Brooklyn Park this past week, it was anything but. One of the pillars of St Kate’s is social justice, and the organizers of this protest exemplified just that. Their passion and drive are something that we should all be striving for in the wake of the verdict of the trial of Derek Chauvin. Justice is far from served, and protests are just the start of changes that we can be making as college students.

Yapp, who spoke at the protest, mentioned that one of the biggest ways we can have influence is by spending our money selectively. Supporting Black-owned businesses is an easy way to lift up a marginalized community, and we as allies should be making that switch as much as possible.

As Yapp also said, “Protests are cool, but have you ever called your representatives?” Contacting your local members of office is another easy way to show support for BIPOC issues. If phone calls aren’t your thing, ResistBot is a service that has you input your zip code into a text and it drafts an email for you.

Political action is an immensely broad topic, but it is the most powerful tool we have as members of a democracy. Attending protests may not be within your comfort zone, but calling your representatives and supporting BIPOC businesses are easy ways to get started.

It’s so important that these issues remain at the forefront of our minds, and I applaud the leaders of the protest for taking matters into their own hands. This is just the first step, and we all have it in us to do what is necessary to stamp out the fires of racism deep in our community.