California Baptist University

“I did not grow up where (racial conversa tions) were the things being addressed at all,” Davis-Hayes says. “I grew up with people who were satisfied that they were nice people but were completely unwilling to delve into the systems and structures of race — much less come before Christ and say, ‘Maybe there’s a possibility that I have lived through an era that still needs to be interrogated due to systems of racism.’ But I had people in my vacation Bible study who were as old as 70. They didn’t come out of guilt, but out of interest and conviction. It was mind blowing.” The trailblazing momentum brought from the protests, like all flames, is destined to flicker out if not maintained by each rising generation. Fortunately, students such as Jordan Hill, senior political science and president of the Black Stu dent Union, are determined to make sure that the rights of Black people and other people of color are championed.

“We (in the BSU) want to build community and help bring awareness to the perspective of African Americans to bring positive change,” Hill says. “Here at CBU, we have people who want to enter into law enforcement, for example, so if we can help them understand our culture, history and cultural experiences, we can make the world a bit safer for everyone.” For CBU students looking for a way to make a continued impact, Davis-Hayes advises students to be the change they want to see, even if that means going to places where they are the only ones. “Sometimes God opens a door for you to hold it for other people,” Davis-Hayes says. “That’s where we start seeing social change, societal change, global change, kingdom change. There are limits on how much secular folks can heal, but for Christians, all Christ does is heal, so there are no limits. We have to claim this truth and sit at

YOU CAN ' T BRING ME DOWN During the summer protests, many artists painted murals in downtown Riverside celebrating and memorializing Black figures. When these murals were later defaced in the fall (the black paint seen above), Riverside artist Selena Wilson returned to the mural she painted to leave the message, “Look what they did. Try to hurt our heARTS and break spirits. You can’t bring me down. We can’t just erase it, we’ve got to face it. Enough already. Already.”