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Both women have become the voice of their sons today. Both have written books about their experience. Fulton travels the country as an inspirational speaker and advocate for the need to build safer communities.聽

Prater is a retired professor and dean of the College of Health and Human Services at Southeast Missouri State University where she oversaw community impact programming and a regional police academy, among other responsibilities.聽

The medical examiner declared Leslie Prater鈥檚 death a homicide. None of the police officers involved were charged with a crime. His mother shared how the family was not allowed to see his body after his death and did not know the extent of his injuries until they asked for an independent autopsy. She and her family later sued the city of Chattanooga and the police department, settling out of court.聽

Today her youngest son works in law enforcement. She has a simple outlook on how to improve the profession.

鈥淲e want the best people in these positions,鈥� Prater said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 care about the color of your skin.鈥�

She said that social media today allows the families impacted by violence to have a sense of justice as people see the videos of violence as they unfold. At the same time, she, and Fulton, also see the way it gives people a platform for racism and anger.聽

鈥淚鈥檓 trying to understand the hatred part of all of this because I鈥檝e seen people riding down the street and they will help an animal before they help another human being,鈥� Fulton said. 鈥淧eople will pull their car over, not knowing what the animal will do to them, what harm the animal might cause, but will ride by another human being.鈥�

Both women said the path forward to social change begins with changing the way people think about each other.

鈥淲e have to change mindsets, which is harder than changing laws, you have to change somebody鈥檚 mindset to turn away from hatred,鈥� Fulton said. 鈥淲e have to get to a level where we are understanding each other a little better, and not so much of our differences 鈥� you know who鈥檚 tall, who鈥檚 short, who鈥檚 straight. It does not matter. We all love our loved ones. We all want to see them prosper.

鈥淲e have so many people who are nonchalant about death. They kill somebody and they go home and order pizza. They go home and get in their beds. They go home and watch TV. They go home. My son didn鈥檛 go home. He went to the morgue.鈥澛�

The speakers鈥� words had an impact on students present. Meagan Macwade is a freshman double majoring in psychology and women and gender studies, with a concentration in domestic violence prevention and services.

鈥淚 am a Black woman myself," she said, 鈥渁nd you hear so many stories online about the violence experienced, but to hear how they felt, and what happened in the aftermath is so powerful. As a majority white campus, you can feel isolated in your experiences here, but I hope that this will encourage students and faculty to participate in a more active role when these tragedies occur again. And I do mean when, not if, because unless the justice system changes, this violence done by the police will continue.鈥�

The lecture was part of 鈥�,鈥� a celebration of the Women and Gender Studies department鈥檚 50th year of teaching about, studying, and advocating for the rights of women and all marginalized people. Department chair Patricia Sloane-White said this event shows how future work in the discipline must include issues affecting underrepresented populations.聽聽

鈥淭he Women鈥檚 Movement has been justly accused of failing to address the distinct forms of oppression faced by women of color,鈥� Sloane-White said. 鈥淗aving these remarkable speakers here to share their pain, and their courage as mothers and as leaders for social justice signifies our commitment as a department to have the critical discussions that will lead the way to change the history of racial and gender equity.鈥�

The event also included the presentation of the first Mary Ruth Warner award. Warner, who graduated from the College of Arts and Sciences in 1971, received the honor for her contributions as a faculty member in the Women and Gender Studies department and to 91原创. Warner was the leader behind the creation of 91原创鈥檚 Black Student Union and led the organization in formal discussions with former President Trabant to increase the number of African American professors, to create a Black cultural center and include courses on African American and African history, among other accomplishments. She also worked with gay and lesbian activists outside 91原创 to organize the first Gay Pride march in Philadelphia.聽

The full list of can be found on the Women and Gender Studies Department website.