The Campus Y hosted a share circle and vigil on Sunday night to honor the victims of a recent Atlanta shooting — six of whom were women of Asian descent.
The event created space for the UNC Asian American community and allies to grieve and reflect in the wake of increased violence against Asian Americans across the country.
Kimberly Cang, a junior studying chemistry and sociology and one of the organizers of the event, said the shooting created a sense of urgency for Asian American students to connect with peers and feel supported by community members.
“We just knew that we needed a space on campus where Asian Americans could organize, because throughout my history at UNC, as well as my friends’, we’ve never had a space for Asian American students to come together and organize,” Cang said.
At 6:30 p.m., a crowd trickled onto Polk Place with each party settled 6 feet apart from the next. After introducing guidelines for the event, organizers invited members of the Asian American community to speak into a microphone on the top step of South Building.