Dozens of students rallied on the steps of Garfield High School on Tuesday to demand justice for Charleena Lyles, who was shot and killed by Seattle police on Sunday.
Elsewhere in Seattle, teachers wore Black Lives Matter shirts to encourage a conversation about race, inequality, and safety.
“Just because we might not know her personally doesn’t mean we can’t relate,” Israel Presley, a Garfield Sophomore, said.
He and others spoke about the Lyles case and its impact on their community.
“We need to talk about it in class; we cannot just talk about it on social media. There’s a difference between typing something and actually doing something,” Chardonnay Beaver, who is also a sophomore, said.
Seattle Police officers shot and killed 30-year-old Charleena Lyles at her apartment in the Sand Point neighborhood after police say she confronted them with a knife.
Darrin Hoop, a Spanish teacher at Cleveland STEM High School, wore a Black Lives Matter t-shirt in his classroom. The union representing Seattle Public Schools teachers encouraged others to do the same.
“I think it’s important to draw attention to the fact that this is not an isolated situation,” Hoop said.
He says one of his students approached him and told him that she has family members living in the building where Lyles was shot.
“It’s crucial for teachers to talk about this reality and to try and create a safe space for our students to be able to discuss it,” Hoop said.
Back at Garfield High School, the group chanted, “Black lives matter,” before heading back inside to finish out the school day.
“We are the voices for this new generation. We do not want this to continue,” Beaver said.
