All eyes are on Ferguson, Missouri, but UNC students are taking part in protests as well. The day after a grand jury’s decision not to indict Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown, 500 people gathered in the Pit on UNC campus, says sophomore Rashidah Richardson.

She says the Pit demonstration shows how much people care.

“I think it just goes to show that so many people showed up, that we do care,” Richardson says. “And I think part of the reason why our government is not really responding is because they think people don’t care, they think we’re complacent with them telling us that black bodies don’t matter. And we’re saying that they do, (and) we care, (and) something needs to be done about it.”

Sophomore Kierra Campbell says she also took part in the Pit demonstration.

“I got here and I saw the semi-circle of mostly students of color, but also other students mixed in, wearing all black, and it was just a very somber and real moment,” she says. “You saw their pain on their faces, so that was the first thing that impacted me. And then as I was in the circle, one girl spoke and then I went up there and spoke and relayed my story and how this incident relates personally to my life. So I’m thankful that I had the boldness, that God gave me the boldness to speak, but…people need to hear these stories.”

She emphasized the importance of talking about the complex issue of race with others.

“We come from two different backgrounds, we come from two different cultures,” she says. “We talk about our cultural differences, we talk about the different lifestyles and how we grew up, (and) we talk about the differences that black and white Americans face in this country. So for one, just talking to the white individuals who are close to you, encouraging them to participate in a dialogue with you. Not just being angry, but if you’re angry just express your anger in a way that they can understand. Like use our words and not just our fists. And so that’s the number one way that I feel like we’re gonna to be able to like implement some real changes, to get people talking. That’s the number one thing, planting seeds around here. Like this needs to get into people’s minds. And encourage them to go talk to their other white counterparts, their siblings, their families, and tell them why we feel like this.”

Shantell McLaggan addressed the violence seen in Ferguson after the decision was released.

“There’s just been a lot of negative backlash regarding all the violence that’s going on in Ferguson,” she says. “I’ve seen a lot of really rude comments, (people) saying things like, ‘if people want justice then they should act peacefully,’ and ‘blah blah blah, peace peace peace.’ But we’ve been in this country just as long as white people have. We built this country. And ever since slavery was abolished, we have been trying peace and forgiveness and love. MLK was shot, for using peace tactics. (I’m) not saying that violence is necessarily the answer – but when we’re being slapped in the face, don’t expect us to just take it.”

Campbell reiterated her frustration with the response to violence in Ferguson.

“Just as a toddler gets mad and starts throwing their toys and breaking their stuff when they’re not being heard and they’re not understood, it’s because (the government’s) not understanding us,” she says. “So I’m not justifying the destruction of private property, but I definitely for damn sure understand where they coming from.”

Psychology major Imani Brown says this demonstration was a signal to the wider community that the events in Ferguson can’t be overlooked.

“Get used to feeling uncomfortable, because we’re not going anywhere,” she say. “And I think that this demonstration showed that we’re not going to keep quiet about this. Yes, we’re at a PWI (predominantly white institution), and yes, we can be the only black students in our class, but that doesn’t overshadow, it’s not going make us timid from voicing our opinions and voicing how we feel about when things like this happen.

“So it was very important for even the people who walked through us, even the people who stood around and laughed and took pictures and stuff like that. At least they see at this point that we care about what’s going on. We’re not going to shut up about this. Just because we’re in a white environment doesn’t mean we aren’t going to let our black voices be heard.”

During the demonstration, hundreds of students walked out of class at noon, then stood in silence before sharing stories of their experiences. The group also staged a ‘die-in’, lying on the ground for 4 and a half minutes to commemorate the four and half hours that Michael Brown’s body lay in the street after he was shot.