Small black flags dotted the lawn of the LSU Parade Ground on Monday — each representing an African-American life lost since the beginning of 2016 to law enforcement.
“That’s 117 people. Not in a decade, not in a year — in two months,” said LSU Justice Together president Brittany Clark. “That is completely and utterly ridiculous.”
Justice Together and the LSU NAACP placed the flags for the “Black Cemetery,” an event created by LSU NAACP vice president Erica Peterson to commemorate lost black lives and protest police brutality nationwide.
LSU NAACP president Monturios Howard said police brutality is a real issue and occurs on a daily basis in the United States.
“I believe that, until the majority speaks up and says something, it’ll just keep happening, keep getting brushed under the rug.” Clark said.
The topic held personal significance for guest speaker Victor White II.
White said his son, Victor White III, was killed by the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Department on March 3, 2014.
White’s son sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the chest while cuffed in the backseat of a police car. The death was ruled a suicide by the coroner, White said. He is now calling for further investigation into the incident.
“The officers have a get-out-of-jail-free card,” White said. “All the officers have to do is say, ‘I feared for my life,’ and that’s it … you shouldn’t be able to investigate yourself.”
Body cameras, independent police investigations, less lenient sentencing for officers convicted of brutality and changes to the jury system were among the reforms brought up by attendees as ways of reducing the number of lives lost. However, cameras are ineffective if the officers are able to turn them off without being held accountable, White said.
Police cameras during his son’s death were reportedly malfunctioning.
“Dr. [Martin Luther] King [Jr.] once said that ‘Our lives begin to end the day that we become silent about what matters,’” Clark said. “We matter. Black lives matter. And we will not be wiped out.”

Gallery • 3 Photos

Nicholas Martino

Participants place black flags in the ground to remember the 117 black lives that were lost to police brutality so far in 2016 on Monday, February 29, 2016 at the Parade Ground.