A candlelight vigil concludes a nine-night tribute honoring the many black lives lost to white supremacy in the ongoing struggle for equality. – June 27th @ 8pm
June 26, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: John Gordon, Jr. Communications Director
202.274.5998 (o) or 202.701.8805 (c) or john.gordon@udc.edu
COMMUNITY ADVISORY:
WHAT: A candlelight vigil concludes a nine-night tribute honoring the many black lives lost to white supremacy in the ongoing struggle for equality.
UDC President Ronald Mason, Jr., will ‘take a knee,’ and the University’s lights will be dimmed for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, beginning at 8:46 p.m. Members of UDC’s Board of Trustees, faculty, student leaders, and community residents will also be in attendance.
The dimmed lights and illuminated candles will commemorate the 8 minutes and 46 seconds that a former Minneapolis police officer fatally pressed his knee into George Floyd’s neck. Nigeria-born operatic soprano Abiodun (Abby) Koya will provide a musical tribute.
All are invited to attend the candlelight vigil on Saturday, June 27, program starts promptly at 8:10 p.m. Social distancing and the wearing of face masks are required.
To help change what President Mason calls a system of oppression, UDC has established the Institute for the Study and Elimination of White Supremacy in America. The hope is that this institute will help build a better, more equitable nation.
UDC George Floyd Tribute_Glory Version(1).mov
WHO: Program participants:
Ronald Mason, Jr., UDC President; Chairman Christopher Bell, Esq., UDC Board of Trustees
Dean Renee Hutchins, UDC Law School; Dr. Sharita Jacobs-Thompson (faculty expert on policing in African-American communities); UDC Student Leaders; Abby Koya, UDC Alumna ‘05
WHEN: Saturday, June 27, 2020
8:00 p.m. – Press Assembles
8:10 p.m. – Musical Selection and Remarks from Speakers
8:30 p.m. – Video Presentation (President Mason)
8:46 p.m. – Silent Tribute and Candlelight Vigil
WHERE: Dennard Plaza
University of the District of Columbia, Van Ness Campus
4200 Connecticut Avenue NW (A-Level between Veazey and Van Ness Streets)