{"504901":{"#nid":"504901","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Black History Month Lecture Covers the Criminal Justice System, #BlackLivesMatter, and College Student Activism","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe popularity of the social media hashtag #BlackLivesMatter can be traced to 2012, when George Zimmerman was acquitted in the murder of Trayvon Martin. The impact of #BlackLivesMatter was felt again last fall, when higher education institutions received public demands from students about addressing culture and climate on college campuses and renewing dialogue on the ways society is falling short in its pledge of \u201cliberty and justice for all.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDuring Georgia Tech\u2019s third annual Black History Month Lecture on February 11, presented by Institute Diversity and the African-American Student Union (AASU), Benjamin Crump, partner of Parks \u0026amp; Crump Law Firm, delivered a keynote speech on \u201cThe Criminal Justice System, #BlackLivesMatter, and College Student Activism Today.\u201d Crump is known for his cases with civil rights implications.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cDiversity is a community value \u2014 a value that Georgia Tech has prioritized in its Strategic Plan. We were honored that Benjamin Crump spoke at this year\u2019s Black History Month Lecture \u2014 as we are finding social justice through social media movements in the 21\u003Csup\u003Est\u003C\/sup\u003E century,\u201d said Archie Ervin, vice president of Institute Diversity.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDuring Crump\u2019s keynote address, one question was asked repeatedly: \u201cGeorgia Tech, where do you stand?\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe remarked, \u201cGeorgia Tech is one of the finest institutions in the world. How can you use your influence \u2014 your technical and entrepreneurial knowledge \u2014 to take a stand? We need to take a position because it is the right thing to do.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECrump represented Trayvon Martin\u2019s family at the start of the #BlackLivesMatter social movement as the case was catapulted into the national spotlight.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEven though Crump never had the chance to meet Trayvon, he recalled the sound of hopelessness from Trayvon\u2019s father, Tracy Martin, after his son was shot. \u201cMy son was walking home from the 7-Eleven when the Neighborhood Watch volunteer shot and killed him, and they\u2019re not going to arrest him. Travyon was unarmed, holding a bag of Skittles and an iced tea,\u201d recounted Crump from Martin.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EUnder Florida\u2019s Stand Your Ground statute, police were prohibited from arresting Zimmerman, so according to Crump, \u201cPeople found justice through social media. The major media outlets could not ignore the case because #BlackLivesMatter was omnipresent on social media.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We need laws that tell people your life matters,\u0022 concluded Crump. \u201cBy standing up for the Trayvon Martins and Michael Browns of the world, it makes America a great beacon of hope for the rest of the world to marvel. We all have a role to play. Figure out what role you play to make lives better for all our children.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERaianna Brown, president of AASU, echoed Crump\u2019s sentiments, commenting on students\u2019 role. \u201cWe enjoyed hearing how the criminal justice system contributed to the recent #BlackLivesMatter and college student activism movements,\u201d she said. \u201cIt is important to learn how we, as students, can help make the criminal justice system more equitable.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo learn more about the Black History Month Lecture, visit \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.diversity.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ewww.diversity.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"During Georgia Tech\u2019s Black History Month Lecture on February 11, presented by Institute Diversity and AASU, Benjamin Crump delivered a keynote speech on \u201cThe Criminal Justice System, #BlackLivesMatter, and College Student Activism Today.\u201d"}],"uid":"27465","created_gmt":"2016-02-22 17:45:25","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:20:49","author":"Annette Filliat","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2016-02-22T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2016-02-22T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"504911":{"id":"504911","type":"image","title":"Black History Month Lecture Keynote Speaker","body":null,"created":"1456340400","gmt_created":"2016-02-24 19:00:00","changed":"1475895265","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:54:25","alt":"Black History Month Lecture Keynote Speaker","file":{"fid":"204807","name":"black_history_month_lecture_crump.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/black_history_month_lecture_crump_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/black_history_month_lecture_crump_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":92858,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/black_history_month_lecture_crump_0.jpg?itok=0jASslvv"}},"504941":{"id":"504941","type":"image","title":"Black History Month Lecture, Presented by Institute Diversity and AASU","body":null,"created":"1456340400","gmt_created":"2016-02-24 19:00:00","changed":"1475895265","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:54:25","alt":"Black History Month Lecture, Presented by Institute Diversity and AASU","file":{"fid":"204808","name":"black_history_month_lecture_planning_committee.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/black_history_month_lecture_planning_committee_0.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/black_history_month_lecture_planning_committee_0.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":127378,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/black_history_month_lecture_planning_committee_0.jpg?itok=_LHRXnYz"}}},"media_ids":["504911","504941"],"groups":[{"id":"1313","name":"Institute Diversity"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"4539","name":"aasu"},{"id":"168291","name":"Benjamin Crump"},{"id":"1452","name":"Black History Month"},{"id":"169965","name":"Black History Month Lecture"},{"id":"9171","name":"institute diversity"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"},{"id":"71901","name":"Society and Culture"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAnnette Filliat\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECommunications Manager\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EInstitute Diversity\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:annette.filliat@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Eannette.filliat@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["annette.filliat@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}