Some University of Detroit Mercy students are hoping to bring awareness to police brutality and recent unjustified killings of African Americans.
On October 7th, Jayna Mosley, a sophomore at Detroit Mercy, hosted “Know Your Rights,” which was an informational meeting about how to conduct yourself around a police officer. There were a few guest speakers along with a poem read by university student John Smith.
“I really do believe knowledge is power,” said Regina D. Jemison, an attorney and counselor of law and faith who spoke at the event. “The more we are able to have discussions like this, the more we can educate others around us.”
Much of the conversation was information about how African Americans conduct themselves when interacting with an officer and what they should or should not say.
Jemison wanted to make sure that students knew that the best way to interact with an officer is to just comply. She said that African Americans are not always treated fairly, and although that may upset people, it’s best not to react in the moment and wait to get your revenge in court.
“In a split second it can change,” Jemison said. “Even though an interaction may not be going your way, you still have to say ‘yes sir’ because it’s all about getting home. You have to do everything you can to get home.”
She said that raising your voice or getting upset can escalate a situation even if that is not what you intended.
Students need to also be aware of the media’s role in all of the controversy, speakers said. Unfortunately people are not always able to receive accurate information and the community must be aware of who is telling us how we should feel.
“I think it is great that students are getting together to talk about this because it’s a very important issue especially right now,” said Salina Pinjarkar, a senior at Detroit Mercy who attended the event. “I think people need to realize that the more you know about your rights the smarter you are.”
