Mark UP Marquette

An arial shot of the event showing the students of Marquette on their campus courtesy of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Instagram

This week the Near West Side Partners ventured to Marquette University's campus for "Mark Up Marquette," a peaceful demonstration on Marquette's campus honoring the lives lost through police brutality through sidewalk art. Marquette students and Milwaukee community members joined together to spread awareness and open a dialogue about racial injustice across the country. Many Milwaukeeans flocked to the Alumni Memorial Union to show their support and illustrate powerful messages on the[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f"> <v:stroke joinstyle="miter"></v:stroke> <v:formulas> <v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"></v:f> <v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"></v:f> <v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"></v:f> <v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"></v:f> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f> <v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"></v:f> <v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"></v:f> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f> <v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"></v:f> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f> <v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"></v:f> </v:formulas> <v:path o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect"></v:path> <o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t"></o:lock> </v:shapetype><v:shape id="_x0000_s1026" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="pasted-image.tiff" style='position:absolute;margin-left:190.75pt;margin-top:244.65pt;width:230.45pt; height:282.7pt;z-index:251654656;mso-wrap-edited:f;mso-width-percent:0; mso-height-percent:0;mso-wrap-distance-left:12pt;mso-wrap-distance-top:12pt; mso-wrap-distance-right:12pt;mso-wrap-distance-bottom:12pt; mso-position-horizontal-relative:page;mso-position-vertical-relative:page; mso-width-percent:0;mso-height-percent:0' strokeweight="1pt"> <v:stroke miterlimit="4"></v:stroke> <v:imagedata src="file:////Users/lucasjohnson/Library/Group%20Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/TemporaryItems/msohtmlclip/clip_image001.png" o:title="pasted-image"></v:imagedata> <v:path arrowok="t"></v:path> <w:wrap anchorx="page" anchory="page"></w:wrap> </v:shape><![endif][if !vml][endif] concrete. Marquette's own President Lovell also attended the event, posting on his instagram a powerful quote "Black Lives Matter @MarquetteU, in Milwaukee and everywhere." Messages of all kinds were sprawled across the center of Marquette's campus, the depictions included artwork speaking out against police brutality, messages encouraging the power of the vote, and a frighteningly long list of names memorializing lives lost to excessive uses of force.

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The above pictures were taken at the Mark Up Marquette event, and show the various works of art and messages students wanted to leave

Near West Side Partners also interviewed one of the organizers of

the event, Aryana Barudin, a graduating Marquette senior studying Anthropology. Barudin talked to us about some of the thinking behind the scenes organizing the demonstration, noting that the organizers wanted a form of protest that all members of the community could participate within. Demonstrators of all ages were able to contribute, with many children at the event scrawling messages and coloring on the sidewalk with their parents. Barudin envisioned a protest that people could effectively socially distance at, while still making sure their voice was heard. At the end of our interview Barudin left us with one final message to those looking to be an ally against

racial injustice across the country.