You may have noticed an uptick in the number of green shirts on campus Monday. Then again, you may not have noticed.
We commend the National Black Law Students Association (NBLSA) for organizing this protest of the Walter Scott shooting. Scott’s green shirt was unnecessarily riddled with bullet holes that fateful day in North Charleston, and this trend of police brutality must be addressed.
Unfortunately, this protest failed to capture the attention it deserved. That’s not to say the student body doesn’t care about this case — but the response has been somewhat muted.
Our campus showed a capacity for activism on this issue with the Ferguson protests. A march on the State House, a panel discussion and a moment of silence were just some of the components that made USC examine an important issue of our time.
Now, here in our own backyard, this problem has come to the forefront again. While it is great that law students are leading the charge on this case, this is not just a legal issue. Part of the college experience is tackling difficult subject matter in and out of the classroom, especially when those issues happen so close to our campus. This must include all students.
Our generation has been accused of slacktivism, or the trend of using social media to support causes but not actually doing the groundwork to make change. NBLSA acknowledged the social media element of this movement with their Black Lives Matter hashtag, but they also took action. Now the student body should do the same.
It’s not enough to view the video of the shooting, post about it or even to just talk about it. If we as a campus want to make a difference, we must do more.