More than one hundred people gathered in Peace Park yesterday for Artists for Justice. The event featured performances of music and poetry as well as opportunities to contribute to collaborative artwork.
According to Kenneth Bryant, one of the organizers for Artists for Justice, the event grew from a desire to create an outlet for the community to respond to the August 9th death of teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.
"We decided we wanted to put together an event to stand it solidarity with the people of Ferguson," Bryant said. "There are very real and raw emotions here in Columbia. We wanted to give Columbians an opportunity to express themselves in a different way, an artistic way, to what's been going on."
Bryant said that while there are no plans for additional events in the community at this time, organizers are hoping to build on the momentum from the initial event.
"We will get together and think about what it is we want to do for the next step."
