BSU holds candlelight vigil for Marcellus Williams – Daily Sundial

Despite the sun setting earlier in the evening and the weather turning colder, CSUN’s Black Student Union (BSU) hosted a candlelight ceremony for Marcellus Williams on October 29 with ample chairs, candles and kites at Plaza Del Sol in the University Student University. Union (USU) where all students and employees on campus can be present.

The event featured four speakers: Ryan Murphy, Black House senior coordinator, Project Rebound student, Timmy Tyson, CSUN’s Muslim Chaplain Suhail Mulla, and Abraham Milton of the Student Affairs University Counseling Services department, on stage to speak about Williams, a 55-year-old black man wrongfully convicted of the death of Felicia Gayle, a white woman, in 1998, despite inconsistent witness testimony and a lack of concrete evidence.

Despite millions of petitions from across the country calling for his release, William was sentenced to death by the state of Missouri on September 24, 2024. BSU’s flyer states that his trail, “steeped in racial prejudice, was an example of the deep flaws of a biased justice system.”

CSUN’s Black House provided Tyson, a sociology major and student who had experience speaking about his life as a formerly incarcerated individual in prison and at mosques in LA

Tyson, who plans to obtain his clinical license as a social worker after graduating in 2026, has served 37 years in prison since he was 18. He shared his views on social justice and what this means, both inside and outside prison.

“I can’t not show up to events like this, it’s too important,” Tyson said, gesturing to the lineup as students showed up. “This is just an extension of that experience, of participating in the movement of social change, social justice.”

As a Muslim, Tyson said he felt attached to Williams as he reflected on how he studied the historical concept of mass incarceration.

“His last words were: ‘Praise be to Allah in every situation.’ So while he was being killed and getting ready to be killed, he still recognized God’s glory,” Tyson said. “And so, you know, just that, and in giving God that glory, I felt a connection and a compassion and empathy and sympathy that I wouldn’t have had without that. But it just made it closer, like it was a family. We see ourselves as a family.”

During his time as a speaker, Tyson explained, he strives to educate others about politics and mass incarceration for those who do not have family members who have been previously incarcerated or impacted, or who call themselves political.

“We want to try to bring that to their attention,” Tyson said. “This can happen, and it will continue to happen, if not you, then someone in your family. At some point in your life. So even though it may not be meaningful to you now, it will be at some point in your life.”

BSU President Hermoni Douglas, who helped organize the event, welcomed attendees as they entered the square.

“This event is very important,” Douglas said. “As president of the Black Student Union, I want to ensure that our black student community understands what is happening in our country. Especially since some black students are not politically educated about what is happening, such as executions or the bills that are being passed. The only way we can stop this is by using our voices at events like these and by voting.”

In her opening remarks, Douglas welcomed and recognized event coordinator Alexi Penrice as the main organizer of the ceremony.

Penrice had heard of Williams’ death and proposed the idea for a memorial to the BSU. She built on the group’s previous advocacy efforts, including an Instagram post about Sonya Massey, a Black woman who was fatally shot by a police officer in her own home in Illinois in July.

“We have to do it and create awareness and then let kids on campus know that they are being heard,” Penrice said. “That’s why we contacted the university’s counseling center, so that when things like this happen and affect the black community, people don’t go out and do bad things, but have someone to talk to and learn how to protest peacefully. ”

Penrice also posted Project Rebound and their resources and events on their own Instagram page, encouraging students to vote.

“Voting definitely affects us in the long run, and a lot of people, a lot of kids, a lot of students, aren’t really familiar with voting because a lot of them are freshmen who aren’t even registered to vote. They hear about it, but they don’t know what’s in it, and they think their opinion doesn’t matter. But right now, these elections are very crucial, very crucial to our events. Just our problems in general.”

Students can find more information about CSUN’s Black Student Union events on BSU’s Instagram and contact information on their official MataSync webpage.