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Students seek advice on police encounters

South Carolina State University’s Dr. Alison McLetchie introduces panelists for the forum on policing. The panel consisted of attorney Chelsea Glover, Orangeburg County Councilwoman Latisha Walker and ACLU Director Jace Woodrum. (Panther photo by Tyuanna Williams)

“Let’s Talk about Tyre Nichols: Black Bodies and Institutional Violence.”

That was the title of a panel discussion sponsored Tuesday by South Carolina State University’s Department of Social Sciences to focus on policing and the African American community. The event was held in Nance Hall Auditorium.

Tyre Nichols died three days after being beaten by five Black policemen during a traffic stop in Memphis, Tennessee. His death has sparked a national outcry.

During the forum, students and faculty shared their feelings regarding the race of the officers.

“It hurts because Black people have a long history with police brutality. You would think Black police officers would be different,” a student said.

“Police brutality has never been about the race of the police, it has always been about the race of the victims,” South Carolina State President Alexander Conyers said.

Students posed questions to the panelists, essentially asking, “How do we make it home safely if stopped by the police?”

Before giving suggestions, the panelists acknowledged that the tips may be ineffective.

“It’s tough to be in an environment where three of us can sit up here but we cannot tell you how to make it home safely,” attorney and panelist Chelsea Glover said. “Even when you do everything right, you still can’t guarantee that things will go right.”

Alongside Glover, other panelists were Orangeburg County Councilwoman Latisha Walker and American Civil Liberties Union Director Jace Woodrum.

They stressed the importance of having evidence when reporting a claim against law enforcement.

“You have to document these things,” Walker said.

“You are 100% in your rights to document what you see is happening,” Woodrum said.

“Understand the power of the devices in your hand and the justice they can bring,” Glover said.

Don’t reach for your phone; you should have everything ready by the time they approach your car, Walker said.

“You have to be smart in what you’re doing, they want to make it home safely too,” Walker said.

The panelists also encouraged involvement and education.

“We have to get involved and educated,” Walker said.

Corporate Gilmore, a community outreach officer for Orangeburg County, said that their focus is on engaging with education. “We’ve been working on educating the public.”

President Conyers urged students to educate their peers.

“I need your help to continue educating each other,” Conyers said.

Conyers plans to develop a speaker series to further the conversation at South Carolina State.