Students should participate in dialogues regarding social justice issues rather than criticize those who choose to organize non-violent demonstrations on campus.

Multiple protests have taken place on campus recently in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. These protests were in response to the ongoing issue of unarmed black men and women being killed by law enforcement officials sworn to protect them. Some cases, such as Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Samuel DuBose in Cincinnati, raised questions of excessive force by police officers and sparked nationwide debates on racial inequality, according to reporting by the Washington Post.

“We want to raise awareness of what’s going on and how the things that are going on in this country right now makes us feel,” said Shada Cook, director of public relations for the Black Student Union.

Cook, along with the Black Student Union and the students who support them, helped organize the protests. Many people asked her what the protests intended to accomplish; she responded these protests were intended to start conversations on these issues. Starting a dialogue on race, however, can be a touchy subject, Cook said.

Non-violent protests have been used throughout history to convey opposition for various causes such as the civil rights movement. Philosopher Henry David Thoreau is one of the most important figures for non-violent protest. In his 1849 essay “Civil Disobedience,” Thoreau advocated following one’s conscience rather than following a government institution without question, according to Biography.com.

Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi were both influenced by Thoreau’s methods of non-violent forms of protest, according to Biography.com.

While the public, including students and community members, took to The Northern Star’s Facebook page to express their strong opposition to the protests, NIU Police did not receive complaints on the protests.

“We respect the right of people to gather and assemble… and their freedom of expression,” said NIU Police Commander Jason John.

John said he would advise future protestors to work with any campus constituents the demonstrations may affect prior to any protests.

One student felt the protests were creating more separation, according to the Oct. 17 Northern Star article. Comments from other unnamed students who opposed the protests were included.

While I respect their opinions, I disagree that the protests are to blame for creating divisiveness; regardless of the protests the divisiveness exists.

The protests are necessary because unarmed black men are seven times more likely to die by police gunfire than white men, according to an Aug. 8, 2015, Washington Post article. These protests would not be necessary if such figures did not exist and these unarmed black men and women were not still being killed.

Cook said prior to the protests, the Black Student Union had meetings which all students were welcome to attend. The meetings were posted on social media and spread via word of mouth, with the intention of getting as many students to attend as possible. She said a wide range of students attended these meetings, thus the negative reaction some students expressed after the protests came as a surprise to Cook.

“Anybody could come and protest with us or give their ideas on how they felt we should protest,” Cook said. “It was an open-door policy.”

However, the students who expressed a strong negative reaction to the protests have not deterred Cook.

“You just [have to] fight hate with love,” she said.

I agree with Cook that race can be a touchy subject. While some subjects might not be easy to address, we still should not avoid having a dialogue on them.

I’ve seen comments posted on social media opposing the Black Lives Matter movement. Some comments reacting to the protests at NIU have been negative as well. This negativity solves nothing.

To achieve progress on these issues, we need to be able to have an open dialogue and not immediately dismiss the protests because we may not like the opinion being expressed.

Unfortunately, race continues to be a divisive issue. Whether people want to acknowledge it or not, there is a reason as to why these protests are necessary.

I encourage students to have an open mind and hear these protestors out. While the subject matter may be difficult to digest, these are real issues that need continued attention and advocacy to end the ongoing cycle of inequality.