For the “(In)Justice For All” discussion panel to be as impactful as possible, it should be monitored by an expert in the complex topics of police brutality and racial injustice, and be made accessible via streaming across campus.

The discussion panel on Oct. 28 in Goldstein Auditorium will feature Lesley McSpadden, the mother of Michael Brown, and Sybrina Fulton, the mother of Trayvon Martin. The panel will also include National Bar Association President Benjamin Crump, CNN legal analyst Sunny Hostin, CNN anchor Fredricka Whitfield and Department of Public Safety Chief Bobby Maldonado, according to a Syracuse University News release.

The panel is a well-rounded approach to the racialized issue of police brutality in the United States, as it includes expert figures in the media, policing, social justice, law and the victims’ mothers. The event is an opportunity for the SU community to have a multifaceted discussion in an organized manner, especially considering in 2014 Syracuse was named the ninth-most racially segregated city in the United States by CNY Fair Housing, a local nonprofit organization.

The potential for an in-depth conversation should not be sacrificed due to the lack of an expert moderator. In order for the audience to get the most out of the panel, The Daily Orange Editorial Board strongly suggests that, at least, the student moderator be accompanied by an expert in these fields — possibly a professor or an employee in the Office of Multicultural Affairs.

In addition to maintaining proper moderation, event coordinators must ensure that they have taken measures to make the event accessible, including to those who are unable to get a ticket.

Due to the high-profile panel of experts and limited seating, the event should be streamed throughout campus buildings, as was done with the visit of the Dalai Lama to SU in 2012 and the inauguration of Chancellor Kent Syverud in 2014. To stream the discussion would ensure that the university is providing students with as many opportunities as possible to experience the panel, while rightfully preserving the intimacy of the discussion.

These measures will help ensure that the event is available for all who want to see it, and that those watching get the most out of it through proper moderation.

Published on October 5, 2015 at 12:17 am

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