University of New Orleans holds vigil, reads poetry in honor of Khaliifah Ibn Rayford Daniels
New Orleans, LA – On October 1, the Students for a Democratic Society chapter of the University of New Orleans began preparations for their vigil of the late Khaliifah Ibn Rayford Daniels, executed by the state of Missouri.
Students gathered at the vigil memorial in front of Earl K. Long Library, displayed in the shade of a tree. The memorial had a vine of white flowers surrounding a picture of Daniels, with his day of birth and day of death underneath and the text “Rest in Power” above. The event highlighted Daniels’ story and seven of his poems, printed in a program that students exchanged as they took turns reading the pages aloud. Organizers supplied paint pens for students who wished to write a message on the panels of the vigil.
The vigil began with readings of At Last…Another’s Heartbeat and Reflections of Dementia: Causes of Missing you (Grandfather) before a summary of Daniels’ family life and childhood, and the accusations that were the cause of his incarceration. The poetry continued with The Net Zero/Morality Equation and Survival and Strawberry Jam. An intermission followed, detailing Daniels’s political life, prison life, and religious life. An Affair of I, The Revolutionary Possibilities of Being Alive and The Perplexing Smiles of the Children of Palestine were read, and the program concluded with a speech and open mic.
“We are here today because we believe in a future where every individual, regardless of race or religion, is treated with dignity and respect,” read a student. “It is our responsibility to dismantle these systems of oppression and advocate for policies that promote equity, understanding and rehabilitation rather than punishment. We must certainly also stand against the death penalty, where one execution is one execution too many.”
Students made a collective space to grieve and remember the life of Daniels. They discussed how they felt about the execution of Daniels. The vigil gave them a voice to pay respects to the victims of state violence and denounce the systems that made this tragedy possible.