Wake up call

UNC’s chapter of Theta Nu Xi Multicultural Sorority Inc. has joined the ranks of those determined to make Troy Davis’ story heard.

In 1991, Davis, who is black, was convicted for the murder of Mark MacPhail and sentenced to death, largely based on the testimony of nine key witnesses.

Seven of those witnesses have now changed their stories, saying police coerced them into naming Davis the killer.

As a result, Davis received a stay of execution Sept. 23, less than two hours before he was scheduled to die. The case has drawn international attention, including a statement from UNC’s 2009 commencement speaker, Desmond Tutu.

Members of Theta Nu Xi lined the Polk Place walkway Monday in a protest to raise awareness of Davis’ plight, brandishing signs and shouting, “Google Troy Davis!” and “Apathy kills!”

Daniele Dickerson, the sorority’s social chair and historian, said she read about Davis’ case in The New York Times and shared it with her sorority, inspiring them to act.

“Theta Nu Xi is really passionate about social justice and multiculturalism,”

Dickerson said.

“We wanted to put his name out there, make people think a little.”

The sorority hosted a similar event last spring featuring a talk by Darryl Hunt, a black man who was set free after wrongfully spending 18 years in prison.

“Having learned about Troy Davis and knowing Darryl Hunt, it is important that this time we make sure people know about this injustice and we don’t come back to it after the fact,” said Sherea Burnett, the chapter’s adviser and a 2007 UNC graduate.

Many students showed little response to protestors’ chants of “No justice, no peace!” and “Tomorrow it could be you!”

A few did stop to learn about Davis, however, and several promised to Google him.

Junior Kat Loeven, an anthropology major, said that she hadn’t heard of Davis before but that the protest educated her.

“I am going to look up more about this,” Loeven said. “I wish people cared more.”

Sophomore Jessica Booker, who had read a little about Davis on Facebook, said she was angered and saddened by his case.

“It just seems very typical, another black man falling through the cracks of the U.S. judicial system,” Booker said.

She said the protest helped by showing students that they do not live in a utopia.

“I think people don’t realize that racism is still institutionalized, it’s still around,” Booker said. “So if it can open the eyes of just a few more of our students who are ignorant of this, then the protest has done a good job.”

Dickerson said the existence of injustice should be a concern to every UNC student.

“Today it’s Troy Davis, yesterday it was Darryl Hunt. You never know who it’s going to be tomorrow,” she said. “It could be you.”



Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.