Unity celebration planned at scene of MU cotton ball incident

COLUMBIA — Two events celebrating campus unity will occur at MU's Gaines/ Oldham Black Culture Center Friday. The events were inspired by the cotton ball incident that happened at the center last Friday.

From noon until 3 p.m., the Black Culture Center will give tours of its facility. Students can also sign an "I love Diversity" board. The BLACKout, an online black-perspective publication run by MU students, will collect video student testimonials on Monday's cotton ball incident.

Students are encouraged to wear blue clothing tomorrow to symbolize unity.

According to the event's Facebook page, blue represents healing, tranquility and knowledge, among other things.

At 6 p.m., a "United We Stand" ceremony will begin. It will either begin at the Black Culture Center and march to Jesse Hall or will begin and end at Jesse Hall.

"Regardless of your opinion of what happened at the BCC last Friday, if you are pro-unity, we want you to come out," said Derrick Christian, president of the MU National Pan-Hellenic Council.

At the ceremony, student leaders from different campus organizations will speak and light candles. A moment of silence will also be observed. Christian and former council Vice President Jaqui Rogers will perform the Black National Anthem.

Christian said the event is not meant to focus on what divides students, but what brings them together.

Student organizations involved in the ceremony include:

• The Legion of Black Collegians
• Missouri Student Association
• MU National Pan-Hellenic Council
• National Association of Black Journalists
• National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
• MU Black Programming Committee