The newly formed Mizzou Black Student Athlete Association (BSAA) led a peaceful march from Jesse Hall to Faurot Field on Wednesday to speak out against systemic racism and police brutality in America.
Dressed in all-black clothing, a diverse crowd of an estimated 800 MU athletes, students and alumni gathered in front of Jesse Hall with a mass of signs calling for immediate action and change in America to show their support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
Warren Spain, Mizzou alumni of 1968, came in full support for the march and prepared to march with the newest class of Mizzou students. As a former college athlete himself, he was more than pleased to see the athletes of today stand up for what they believe in.
“It’s time for the police brutality to stop; it’s time for law enforcement to be held accountable,” Spain said. “I want to stand with these students. They are not simply gladiators or entertainment, they are human beings and our future.”
The marchers embodied the message of unity and togetherness as they flooded Tiger Avenue with roaring chants in memory of the late Breonna Taylor and Jacob Blake as they proudly strided towards Faurot with fists held high in the air in solidarity.
As the masses filled the easternmost stands of Faurot, BSAA President Cason Suggs and Vice President Keierra Slack led the crowd in a five-minute moment of silence before they spoke about their own struggles as African Americans growing up.
Suggs reflected on the day he watched the news report of the tragic shooting of Trayvon Martin and how that affected him as not just an up-and-coming-Black athlete, but also as a growing Black man.
Slack talked to the crowd about her family life and her identity as a proud Black woman. She spoke out against stereotypes and shared stories about her fears growing up “in an era where we have seen the tragic murders of other Black brothers and sisters.”
Later, in the subsequent press conference, Atkins shared how she hopes her personal stories help those who are both similar to and different from her empathize and feel connected to the BSAA’s cause.
“If maybe one sentence, or my whole speech resonated with just one person in there, that was definitely my goal,” Atkins said. “And then one person reaches out to another and then to another, and that’s definitely our biggest goal.”
Watching people from multiple ethnicities and social backgrounds gather together, show support and enact change for the betterment of the Black community has always been a dream of Suggs’s, and that day he was front and center, living that dream.
“This Mizzou black and gold is bigger than I could ever imagine,” Suggs said. “To see that with my own eyes … warms my heart.”
BSAA has not yet revealed their plans for future initiatives and peaceful protests to the public, but defensive lineman and BSAA ambassador Kobie Whiteside shared insight into what Missouri football plans to do in the community.
Whiteside talked about a potential school drive hosted by the football program and shared his hope to work with his fellow BSAA members on these future endeavours.
“We’re doing things step by step: set a brick here and a brick there to help build a foundation to something in our community,” Whiteside said.
The BSAA thanked their crowd of supporters for rallying with them as they cleared the stands with a message of camaraderie fresh in their minds.
“We’re better together,” Olivia Evans, BSAA public relations chairman said. “[We’re] one collective team.”
_Edited by Lucy Caile_