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College Provides Forums for Students, Faculty, and Staff To Process Feelings Following Killing of Tyre Nichols

Tyre Nichols
In a memo to the College community on January 28, Dr. Williams wrote: The merciless violence enacted upon a defenseless man was heinous. These acts reignite a deep and continuous suffering built on the cumulation of indignities we have witnessed over the years—many of them victimizing people of color.

Montgomery College moved swiftly to respond to the killing of Tyre Nichols, the 29-year-old Black motorist killed by police in Memphis on January 7. As an institution committed to social justice, the College provided a number of opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to process their thoughts, feelings, and grief in the wake of this tragedy.

  • On January 28, the day after body cam footage of the arrest and beating of Tyre Nichols was released to news media outlets, Montgomery College President Jermaine F. Williams sent a memo to the college community. In the memo, President Williams noted that the College was organizing student forums.

  • On January 31, a student forum took place at the Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus, hosted by the Institute for Race, Justice, and Civic Engagement. Approximately 30 Montgomery College students, faculty, and staff gathered to discuss the events that happened in Memphis.

    While the conversation started with the events in Memphis, it turned to the upcoming training program that MC is delivering to the Montgomery County Police Department in accordance with the bill that Montgomery County Council Member Will Jawando put forward and eventually passed. Discussions centered on what the curriculum should look like, if reform is possible, and the unique issues facing Montgomery County.

  • The Office of Equity and Inclusion, in collaboration with the Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Center, is hosting a hybrid (in-person and online) Let’s Talk! event, The Death of Tyre Nichols, Collective Community Action Around Policing; Racial Healing and Strategies for Dealing with Trauma on Friday, February 10, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Participants will have an opportunity to hear from professionals, discuss racial injustice, and unpack trauma stemming from acts of violence rooted in racism. A panel discussion, moderated by Montgomery College’s CEIO Sharon Wilder, includes Dr. Andrae Brown, professor of psychology at Montgomery College, and Captain Sonia Pruitt, professor of criminal justice at Montgomery College.
    Registration and event information is available here (PDF, Get Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader - Link opens in new window) .

  • The College scheduled Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (THRT) healing circles on the Rockville Campus. The forums will take place on Fridays, February 10, 17, and 24. Please contact Irene Moshesh, director of the MC Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation Campus Center, at irene.moshesh@montgomerycollege.edu for registration and details.
    Sonia Pruitt

    Professor Sonia Pruitt's opinion piece , “Why Police Reform Utterly Failed To Protect Tyre Nichols,” appeared on CNN.com on Saturday, January 28. Professor Pruitt is a retired Montgomery County police captain and is the founder of The Black Police Experience, which promotes the education of the intersection of law enforcement and the Black community. 

  • An opinion piece written by Montgomery College Professor Sonia Pruitt, “Why Police Reform Utterly Failed To Protect Tyre Nichols,” was published on CNN.com on Saturday, January 28. Professor Pruitt is a retired Montgomery County police captain and is the founder of The Black Police Experience, which promotes the education of the intersection of law enforcement and the Black community. 

  • Professor Pruitt also appeared on other media outlets including USA Today and MSNBC.

  • The first 30-hour training of Montgomery County Police Department recruits by Montgomery College faculty and staff is scheduled for the week of March 27.
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