Stop the Violence- Celebration of the Life of Kourtney McCoy

Stop the violence, an appeal to the student body. November 7, 2012 marked the one year anniversary of the death of Kourtney McCoy. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) hosted a forum, promoting the end of violence on and off campus and in celebration of the life of Kourtney McCoy.

Monday night, in the Atkinson Room, located in Lane University Center. The room was filled with faculty, guest speakers but mainly students. Once all the seats were occupied, students lined the walls while others sat on the floor. The first speaker was Dr. Bernard Wynder, Assistant Vice President of SES. He spoke directly to the students about the personal responsibility each student has in preventing violence. Dr. Wynder discussed how the act of simply being a bystander can escalate the situation. He then spoke in depth about the daily personal decisions an individual has to make in order to succeed. He said “I chose to change, I was not always the individual you see before you…I stopped drinking at 21…I do yoga now." He then spoke about embracing diversity “we can choose not to be in conflict, we are creators not victims…welcome diversity, respect it.”  Dr. Wynder subsequently discussed emotional intelligence, the idea that emotions can cause people to act before they think. He concluded by saying “a person is defined by the choices they make, minute to minute."

Another guest speaker was suppose to attend but was unable to make it due to a family emergency. Instead, Jasmine Bullock, Vice President of NAACP read his notes. He planned to speak on the unforseen consequences of violence.

The next speaker was State Attorney Michael Twigg.  He pleaded with the crowd on behalf of the family of Kourtney McCoy. He asked that anyone who has any information pertaining to the case to step forward. He explained the difficulty he has had obtaining information and dealing with witnesses. Detective Nicholas Costello was also in attendance and available to talk.

Next a video collage of Kourtney McCoy and her friends showcasing her “goofy” personality was played. The crowd watched in silence. A student by the name of Quinton Brown, felt moved to address the crowd. His message was on the importance  of doing the right thing and being where you are supposed to be. The event was concluded by a musical selection, “Smile by Kirk Franklin” from members of the gospel choir, Sharon Duncan, Destiny Banks, Robert Brown and Jasmine Bullock.