Candles light the night in memory of Diallo

About 150 people gathered to remember the West African immigrant, killed by four N.Y. police officers. On College Green last night, the United Minorities Council and the Greenfield Intercultural Center co-sponsored a candlelight vigil in memorial of Amadou Diallo, the West African immigrant who was shot to death in 1998 by New York City police officers who mistook his wallet for a gun. The four officers were acquitted of murder charges two weeks ago, to the dismay of many who saw it as another example of police brutality against African Americans. About 150 people, including students and professors from Penn and several nearby colleges, gathered on College Green. "As playing the role of representative of many people of color on this campus, it's very important that we make an overstatement against the injustice, and we bring it to the awareness of all Penn students," said College junior Archana Jayaram, the political chair of the UMC. Speakers at the event included University Chaplain William Gipson, Director of the Police Advisory Commission in Philadelphia Hector Soto, Political Science Professor Joao Resende-Santos and other audience members who wished to voice their concerns. Many of the speakers stressed the relevance of Diallo's death to their own lives, emphasizing that what happened to Diallo could have happened to anyone else when prejudices prevail. College sophomore Michelle Watson, the editor-in-chief of The Vision, Penn's independent black newspaper, told of how her mother bought tapes from Diallo, who was a New York City street vendor. "I know a man who lived on the same block three doors down," said Know Iself, a sophomore at a local school who addressed the crowd. Several visibly angry audience members discussed the prevalence of racial stereotypes and the detrimental effects they can have -- which, they say, provides a breeding ground for the Diallo case and other similar incidents. "I'm just frustrated. I'm just really upset," said UMC Chairman Jerome Byam, a College junior. "Before I open my mouth, someone has an opinion of me. I work hard, but people don't just look at me that way -- and I'm upset." In the beginning of the vigil, Gipson encouraged the crowd to heed the callings of Diallo's mother -- to "pray and fight" in order to prevent future racial injustices. Discussing the significance of holding such an event in the heart of a college campus, Wharton senior Sammy Sugiura, the chairman of the Asian Pacific Student Coalition, said, "The most important thing is to remember that these incidents do happen in the U.S. -- a lot of these victims don't have a voice to defend themselves. "The vigil is not only a way to bring light to the tragic way he died, but a way to educate everyone not only about his death, but of other hate crimes that occur," he added.

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