In El Paso, The Black Student Union (BSU) from The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP)and the group Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) hosted a vigil in memorial of Black Lives lost to unnecessary violence and to educate the community of the ongoing tragedies across the nation.
The community gathered at La Plaza de los Lagartos (San Jacinto Plaza) in the evening on Sunday, July 10. The plaza was filled with various organization and community members who stood in solidarity with BSU and PFLAG. Among the attendees were students from New Mexico State University who made a special trip to El Paso from Las Cruces, New Mexico to attend the vigil.
The press release circulated for this event read “Black Student Union, BSU, is to promote activities of common interest, cultural and educational benefits for the African American students at UTEP,” it went on to quote the organizations president Shyla Cooks, “We have been far too silent for far too long.”
Organizers and leaders of the Black Student Union (BSU) Keyanna Robinson, Makeda Buggs, and Shyla Cooks shared a few words please click on their names to hear their message. These brave students continue the long legacy of community organizing and activism on the border. Through poems, speeches, and songs they joined their voice to the many speaking out about injustices faced by black communities and other minority groups across the United States.
Makeda Buggs, Black Student Union (on stage speaking)
Borderlands History 