This year’s Solidarity March took place on Oct. 6 and sought to bring awareness to the experiences of hate, discrimination, and microaggressions on our campus and in the community. 

The march was hosted by Bucknell Student Government (BSG), the Social Justice Residential College, and the CommUnity Zone. Collectively, the organizations had a goal of continuing the discussions that were started at the Solidarity Ceremony last spring.

The Solidarity March was called “Stop the Hate Unity Rally” in previous years but was renamed to emphasize solidarity by recognizing Lewisburg and University community members who have often been silenced, discriminated against, oppressed, and marginalized. 

“The goal of the event is to bring awareness of our privileges, to break the silence on these important issues, and to stand in solidarity with our peers who are suffering, while also holding ourselves accountable for making this an inclusive community that celebrates, rather than ostracizes, our differences,” Amanda Battle ’18 said.

“With the social justice team this year, we really wanted to continue our annual ‘Stop the Hate Rally’ but incorporate the idea of the solidarity ceremony last year. The march’s intent was to bring together both the Lewisburg community and Bucknell to represent the many people not just here, but all over, who are silenced,” Kimberley Nidah ’16 said. 

The march began on the main academic quad and students, faculty, and community members proceeded to walk in silence to Hufnagle Park. This silence was a time for reflection and contemplation on experiences of hate, exclusion, oppression, and microaggression.

“The march seeks to undo the silence that is thrust upon members of our community and our country due to their particular identities,” El McCabe ’16 said. 

Once at Hufnagle Park there were student performances including a cappella, musical pieces, poems, and spoken verse as well as a Spotlight on Human Rights, organized by the Ubuntu Club, Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA), Black Student Union (BSU), Active Minds, Students for Free Tibet, and ATHENA.

McCabe said that these performances “highlight the personal stories of discrimination from members of the Bucknell and Lewisburg communities through performance.” 

“I have been involved with this event since my first year at Bucknell. This year, however, saw a huge jump in attendance. Combined with roughly 50 Lewisburg community members, approximately 600 members of our Bucknell community joined together in solidarity. The sheer number of people who participated in the march and the silence we held during this time was a transformative moment for our community. I am so proud of all of the performers who made the event that much more powerful in such creative ways,” Catherine Peebles ’16 said.