In response to the recent shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., several University of Wisconsin-Madison campus organizations held a forum Monday discussing the incident as well as other racial issues.
The main points discussed at the forum included police interaction and intervention as they relate to race, as well as a dialogue about ways to advocate for effective communication with law enforcement agencies.
Jordan Gaines, student assistant of African American Student Services and Outreach, opened the forum with a timeline of the events leading up to Michael Brown’s death and the aftermath of the incident.
Following Gaines’ presentation, members of the Wisconsin Black Student Union led attendees in an open forum discussion of issues regarding race. Local officials such as Madison Police Department Chief Michael Koval, UW-Madison Police Chief Susan Riseling and Dean of Students Lori Berquam participated in the event alongside students and community members.
Both Koval and Riseling said they are working to improve awareness about issues of race in the Madison community.
“There is a definite importance in cultural competency and diversity,” Koval said.
Riseling added she incorporates awareness of “unconscious bias” into basic training, as well as firearm and stop-and-frisk training for UWPD officers.
Students across the UW-Madison campus also gave their input about current issues and events.
Lamonte Moore, who is currently working with the United Council, discussed “the misconstrued blunder about what is happening in Ferguson,” adding that the media exaggerates in its portrayal of nightly violence.
“What they do at night is come together at their ground zero,” Moore said. “They have created a culture out of the situation.”
Graduate student Walter Williams agreed, saying “we need to put in work” regarding cultural awareness.
“We need to be institutional as well as continue to have difficult conversations and [be] pushy,” UW-Madison senior Claire Stamborski added.
After the open forum, Michael Franklin of United Council discussed students’ rights during police stop-and-frisk procedures and similar practices.
“Knowing your rights is knowing your power,” Franklin said.
The Institute of Justice Education and Transformation followed the United Council discussion with a group exercise intended to address issues of diversity around campus and propose possible solutions.
Karla Foster, director of African American Student Services and Outreach, said that she hopes the forum is part of a two-part event that will include listening sessions with UWPD and the city of Madison police forces.
