East Carolinian

Issue date: 10/9/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Nicholas Thigpen

Media Credit: Nicholas Thigpen

Dozens of students, faculty and staff members gathered yesterday afternoon in Hendrix Theater on behalf of Jarmichael Harris, a student charged of assaulting another student last week.

The event, sponsored by the Black Student Union, of which Harris is chief of staff, was designed to raise awareness of "mistaken identity" cases and to show support for Harris.

Harris, a rehab studies major, was arrested by ECU police last Thursday in front of Fletcher Hall after the victim of an early-morning assault on Sept. 28 told police that Harris was the attacker. The description the victim gave police of his attacker was a black man with glasses, measuring about 5-foot-9. Harris alleges that he was arrested solely on this description, without hard evidence or witnesses. On Monday, he also stated that he was sleeping in his dorm room in White Hall when the assault occurred at 3 a.m. on Sept. 28.

Harris has since been released on an unsecured bond until his court date, Oct. 22, but maintains his innocence.

BSU members are convinced of Harris' innocence as well. At the rally yesterday, friends and acquaintances of the student told the audience about Harris's character.

Harris also addressed the crowd briefly, saying that he wanted to make "headlines" when he came to ECU, but didn't know it would be in this way.

Student minister Trenton McDougal, Victory Campus Ministry staff member Blake Dameron and BSU president Allen Thomas were a few friends who spoke on Harris' behalf.

Dameron, who leads a weekly Bible study with Harris, focused on Harris' "integrity" before and after the incident took place, relating Harris' situation to a Biblical parable.

"We've seen how he [Harris] has lived his life," Dameron said. "It wasn't just rhetoric, he didn't just come to a Bible study, he lives what he talks about. That's why it's so key, regardless of what's going on, to see how he responded; he responded with integrity, with honesty and the right spirit."

Harris is involved with numerous organizations on campus, is an active member in a local church and regular community volunteer. On Monday, he said that this incident has nothing to do with race; he maintained this viewpoint yesterday at the rally. Thomas also reiterated this point to the crowd, stating that although the event was sponsored by BSU, members of other races also came out to support "justice" for Harris.

"I want to make something perfectly clear," Thomas told the crowd in Hendrix last night. "This is not an issue of race. People are getting things twisted; this is an issue of wrongdoing and 'mistaken identity.' We have Caucasian members in the audience, [and] the same thing can happen to you. Let me tell you something: We are called the Black Student Union, but we have room for everybody."

Dr. Lathan Turner, assistant vice chancellor for Student Affairs, spoke on Harris' behalf and agrees that the situation is not about race.

"I think that when we talk about issues of justice, sometimes it is overcast by perceptions that it is race-driven," Turner said. "But we know that if you really take a deeper look into these scenarios, it really transcends race. It is justice."

After the rally, participants had the chance to write comments about the incident and notes to Harris; the notes will be sent to the North Carolina district attorney's office in support of the student.

Harris said after the rally that he was touched by the support that students and faculty had shown through the ordeal.

"I knew I had a lot of friends," he said. "But, [wow.]. It was definitely a good feeling to see so many people I know in support of my situation; like I said, it could have happened to anybody."

Harris also said that he felt that he and BSU accomplished their goal: to raise awareness about cases like his.

"Just to see that people can identify with the fact that this could have happened to anybody [makes it a success]," he said.

Before the incident involving Harris, BSU was campaigning for race to be taken off the community alert system at the university. According to Harris, though, his case did not pop up on that system.

The ECU police department declined to comment.



This writer can be contacted at editor@theeastcarolinian.com.

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