Florida A&M University’s Tucker Hall transformed into a powerful space of truth, remembrance and reflection on April 22 as students, faculty and community members gathered for the annual exhibition titled “New Age Lynching: Police Brutality and Its Impact on Communities of Color.”
The event, hosted by Tiffany Packer and her Black Americans in the 20th Century students, opened with a student panel, where participants shared their personal experiences with law enforcement and the emotional journey of researching their assigned cases. The panel included students Elyza Kate, a journalism major; Rachel Dean, a social science education major; and Jah’mal Lapomarel, a broadcast journalism major.
“This project opened my eyes,” Kate said. “Police brutality is a big issue, but I also realized many officers don’t know how to handle mental health situations. I was taught from a young age to keep my hands on the wheel, stay calm, and always record — just to survive a traffic stop.”…