More than 100 LSU students gathered for a prayer and moment of silence at the Memorial Tower at noon Thursday, wearing black and gold to show solidarity with a fellow SEC school struggling with protests and tense race relations.
The University of Missouri community lashed out against administrators in recent weeks following allegations of racial slurs and threats from
students, leading to the football team boycotting the administration and the president and chancellor resigning.
The LSU Black Leadership Council, composed of all minority group leaders at LSU, organized the event on Twitter. It lasted roughly 20 minutes and included a prayer, 45 seconds of silence and short speeches from LSU NAACP President Cimajie Best and two others encouraging the group to continue supporting Missouri students on Twitter.
While the majority of students attending the event were black, a handful of white students showed up to pray, including Student Government President Andrew Mahtook, holding a sign reading, “LSU supports Mizzou.”
Some wore University of Missouri shirts and jackets, and others had shirts reading, “I love my blackness and yours,” and “We are Selma.” LSU NAACP instructed those on Twitter to wear black and gold.
“I love my school, but LSU definitely has its problems,” Best said. “As a minority student on campus, it’s very easy to feel alone, that you don’t have anybody to necessarily have your best interest at heart sometimes.”
The event aimed to support Missouri students and spark other schools to do the same, Best said.
Mass communication senior Jonathan Brown said he sees similar issues at LSU that sparked Missouri protests, and LSU students must speak up.
“Not enough students are represented,” Brown said. “Not enough students have their voices being heard. Not enough students are aware that minority students are being mistreated and neglected.”
Protests and movements like Missouri’s are 50 years in the making, Brown said, as students are finally recognizing racial injustices and mistreatment on campus. Brown said LSU needs to be the “voice of reason” in Louisiana to support black students speaking on these issues.

Gallery • 6 Photos

Sam Karlin

LSU students gather at the Memorial Tower Thursday, Nov. 12, 2015, in solidarity with University of Missouri students protesting racial issues.