A conversation surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement and the recent death of George Flyod will be hosted by Aswad Allen, Emporia State’s chief diversity officer, over Zoom. The call starts at 11:30 p.m. this Friday and will be open to all/students and faculty. 

Registration will open on Wednesday and those who wish to participate and ask questions must register beforehand on the emporia.edu website. As of June 2, the link has not been posted.

“The conversations need to be had not just in DC or not just in Minnesota or Los Angeles,” said Brayden Soper, Associated Student Government president. “It’s a nationwide problem and I think having it on these smaller platforms is just as important as having it on larger, more nationwide platforms.”

In an email sent on Monday, university officials voiced their support for George Floyd, who recently died in Minneapolis after an officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes. It was this email where they also announced the upcoming call with Allen.

“Emporia State University seeks to change lives for the common good,” the email said. “We must consciously humanize victims of such horrible actions, closely examine our own beliefs, and challenge ourselves to explore the condition of our society. Most importantly, each of us should ask how we can help to create a more equitable system for all.”