The first 统一走 was held on campus as an expression of racial unity by 利记sbo students but took on deeper meaning after there were a series of racist incidents on campus, 在其他地方大学, and in the Utica community that drew attention to the divisions that still existed among members of our community based on race and ethnicity.
In 1990, our Black Student Union spearheaded the Unity March with the intention of bringing together members of the community to proactively address these concerns. 本地书院成员, including Mohawk Valley 社区 College, SUNY Polytechnic Institute (then SUNY Institute of Technology), 汉密尔顿学院, 科尔盖特大学, 和纽约州立大学莫里斯维尔分校, 我也参与了. Participants marched in the streets of Utica from Oneida Square to City Hall, where they spoke out against racism, 歧视, 和不公正.
By 1992, the focus of the march broadened and co-sponsors included not only student organizations such as the BSU and the Latin American Student Union but newly formed groups such as the Women’s Resource Center and the Gay and Lesbian Student Alliance (now known as the Gender Sexuality Alliance). 海报比赛, 烛光守夜, 演讲嘉宾, and presentations were also incorporated into the event. The route also changed over the years, sometimes ending at community staples such as Plymouth Bethesda Church and Pratt Institute.
Unity Marches became a powerful expression of the belief in the gifts diversity brings to our campus and our communities, but also affirmed the need to talk with and understand one another in order to better support each other.