Members of Black Leaders of Tomorrow recently spoke at a vigil held at Lake Eola honoring Tyre Nichols and the numerous black and brown individuals who have lost their lives due to police brutality and gun violence.
Senior Keten Abebe, President of University’s chapter of Black Leaders of Tomorrow was interviewed by local news stations and spoke about the wrongs of police brutality and how it is important to speak out to the nation and communities. “The color of your skin should not be seen as a weapon. Every human being has the right to live,” said Abebe.
Those involved in the vigil used the event to bring attention to the need for police reform. “The nature of our conversation regarding police brutality is not to say that all law enforcement agents are bad, however, it is to say that the system needs to be reformed to truly protect and serve its constituents. We can only make change and fix our problems by addressing them and we need to be able to have open uncomfortable conversations about the dangers of owning weapons and the dangerous implications of police brutality to make any change. Understanding that lives should not be lost aimlessly and that policy reform needs to take place is crucial,” said Abebe.
The event was also attended by District 10 Congressional Representative Maxell Frost and District 42 State Representative Anna Eskamani, both who spoke about the need for a change in policing.
Tyre Nichols was killed by police in Memphis, Tennessee. Black Leaders of Tomorrow honored him by taking action and speaking about the tragic abuse of police power. “Speaking about Tyre Nichols was very impactful and emotional. We wanted to focus on the beautiful black soul that was lost while also taking the time to address the change that needs to take place within our nation.” said senior Jadyn Winston of Black Leaders of Tomorrow.