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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at IUP chapter.

On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a forty-six year old black man was handcuffed and subsequently suffocated to death while in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota as officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.

The incident was recorded and spread through social media by several bystanders, sparking controversy and outrage. Floyd’s death also began to draw public attention to police brutality and institutional and systemic racism. 

In the city of Minneapolis, people demanded justice and accountability and held protests and demonstrations in a call to action that quickly spread across the country and even began to unite people in other parts of the world. 

Racism is not born, it is taught. We spend our childhood lives building friendships and social lives, but sometimes the friendships we desire the most were declined out of ignorance. 

Here at the IUP Chapter of Her Campus, we believe that you should stand up for what you believe in. We are the youth of the country and the only ones who can determine or change our fate. We believe in making a difference. We believe in fighting for each other. Most importantly, we believe in policy reform because the color of our skin should not define us, nor should it determine our fate. 

We believe that black lives matter. 

Here at Her Campus, we aim to inspire, empower, and support each other. 

We will continue to offer our unconditional support and fight to make a difference.

Alicia is an aspiring doctor. She intends to graduate from IUP in 2022 and attend Medical School directly after to become a medical doctor specializing in pediatrics. She enjoys watching movies, hanging with friends, and community service. She is a dog lover and has a pug names Porky that makes her smile on her worst days. Family is everything to her as you probably have read.
Michaela Shaw was the vice president and senior editor of the Her Campus chapter at Indiana University of Pennsylvania from 2020-2022. During her time as an undergraduate student, Michaela was also a member of Active Minds, Alpha Kappa Delta, the National Society for Leadership and Success, Sociology Club, and Psi Chi. She also volunteered with Hopeful Hearts, a grief support group for children and families. After completing an internship at Allegheny County Children, Youth and Families, she graduated in August with a dual baccalaureate in Psychology and Sociology and a minor in Child and Adult Advocacy Studies. She likes video games, reading, rainy days, vinyl records, Thai food, and spending time with her cat, Ron.Â