Students and faculty participated in a student-led walk-out/sit-out on Tuesday as part of the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Action.
Dean Raul Reis said the day can have different purposes for different participants, including service and discussion.
“One of the most important aspects of Dr. King’s legacy is the fact that action and lived experience speak louder than words,” he said.
The school wanted a lot of student participation in the event — and achieved that — will dozens of students and staff filling in the Freedom Forum Conference Center in Carroll Hall.
Reis said the event was originally planned to be held outside to allow other students on campus to see the walk-out. But, due to the rain, staff members stood on the stairs of the building and invited participants inside instead.
The walk-out was held at 12:10 p.m., purposefully at a common class change, with the hope that it would catch the attention of students walking between classes, according to an email from the school.
Reis suggested that people take a second to think about King’s legacy and how they can reflect or engage in challenging themselves and their personal views.
“We don’t want this to be a day that you go about your business,” he said. “We want them to emerge with a lot of questions.
Jade Wilson, a graduate student at the Hussman School and member of the Dean's Student Advisory Council, spoke at the event. They asked questions to the audience, initiating a group discussion with students sharing experiences from their classes at UNC.
