Students of Color in Public Policy (SCPP) and Out in Public (OIP) prepared a Día de los Muertos ofrenda, or offering, to honor victims of systemic violence and to stand in solidarity with communities battling oppression.
According to SCPP: “Día de los Muertos (DDM) or Day of the Dead is a Mexican celebration of life and death rooted in indigenous and Spanish/Catholic traditions. It is a day to honor the lives and pray for the souls of loved ones who have passed away.”
Part of the celebrations are ofrendas constructed to remember loved ones with candles, pictures, and other items. This ofrenda included pictures of Sandra Bland, Trayvon Martin, Philando Castile, and other people of color whose deaths sparked nationwide protests and led to the birth and spread of the Black Lives Matter movement.
The event culminated in a vigil on November 1 on the front steps of Weill Hall.
The goal, SCPP stated in a press release, “is to ultimately use this, and future events, to demonstrate and continue to build unity between people of color. We continue to stand in solidarity with the immigrant community, the Muslim community, the Native American community, the LGBTQ community, and all others battling with systemic oppression.”
See more photos of the ofrenda and vigil on the Ford School's Flickr Album here.