The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Blk Pwr Coalition (BPC) honored Demartravion “Trey” Reed and Cory Zukatis, the two Mississippi men found dead hanging from trees in different parts of the state on Sept. 15, at a vigil on Library Mall Thursday.
Vigil attendees called out the prevalence of anti-Black hate crimes nationwide and the history of violence against Black people in Mississippi. Although police ruled Reed’s death a suicide, many believe the death of Reed was intentional due to the history of lynching in the southern United States. Attendees also drew attention to a recent hoax targeting of predominantly Black colleges after the killing of Charlie Kirk.
“I’m thinking about those two men that lost their lives. I’m thinking about the hurt in our community because this isn’t something that one person feels on an individual level. It’s something everybody feels," Keisha Osman, a junior at UW-Madison and member of BPC, told The Daily Cardinal.
The vigil began at 8 p.m. with about five minutes of silence, where around 100 attendees were seen in a circle lighting each other’s candles, praying and reflecting on Reed and Zukatis.
The body of Demartravion "Trey" Reed, a 21-year-old Black student at Delta State University, was discovered hanging from a tree on campus early on Sept. 15. Hours later, a second man, identified as 35-year-old Cory Zukatis, was discovered hanging from a tree about 100 miles south of the university.
Police ruled Reed’s death a suicide. His family called for a second, independent autopsy after receiving “conflicting accounts” about the nature of his death. Mississippi police are still investigating Zukatis’ death, but authorities do not believe the two deaths are connected.
Zukatis, who was white, was homeless, and the BPC said on Instagram growing violence toward homeless populations was sparked by “right-wing” commentary, referencing a recent Fox News comment about “involuntary lethal injection” of mentally ill homeless individuals.
Attendees expressed dismay that on-campus vigils are becoming increasingly common, recalling another vigil last year for Marcellus Williams, a Black man executed in Missouri amidst serious doubts about the legitimacy of his murder conviction.
BPC members said they felt proud witnessing support from their community and non-Black students.
“It’s crucial to recognize the importance of how the Black community can cause an impact, especially with the rise of anti-Black crimes and needing to acknowledge the fact that Reed was hanged,” BPC Event Cipher Madison Hird said.
“Knowing that no one is alone and that we have a strong support system is important, but also acknowledging and not sweeping under the rug that things like this happen,” Hird continued.
BPC members hope the vigil will inspire other schools across the nation to draw awareness to anti-Black and anti-homeless crimes.
The vigil opened the floor to attendees to voice concerns about the hangings. A poem critiquing American society’s “hypocrisy” when it comes to Black culture was written and performed by Evan Epps, a sophomore and member of BPC. Epps said students should use their freedom of speech to spread awareness on the causes they care about.
“When you see a community like this, you have more power than you realize,” Epps said.
At the end of the vigil, Epps and other BPC members led attendees in chanting a quote from activist Assata Shakur: “It is our duty to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to win. We love each other and support each other. We have nothing to lose but our chains.”
