A large and diverse group of Baylor students, faculty, staff, and administrators joined together to support Natasha “Tasha” Nkhama as she walked from class in the Tidwell Bible Building to the Baylor Science Building on Friday morning. The gathering, “I Walk With Natasha,” was prompted to show support in the wake of a racist incident two days earlier.

Interim President David Garland provided a poignant reflection: “Jonathan Franzen wrote, ‘Love is about bottomless empathy, born out of the heart’s revelation that another person is every bit as real as you are. And this is why love, as I understand it, is always specific…to love a specific person, and to identify with his or her struggles and joys as if they were your own, you have to surrender some of your self.’ When we love others like this, we make ourselves so much greater. It means one walk in solidarity is not enough. Walking with our brothers and sisters must become a daily walk on and off this campus.”

Tasha’s comments at Tidwell and again at the BSB were poignant and moving. She said, “Here we love each other, and we’re a reflection of God, and God is love.” She emphasized that the gathering was a sign of who the Baylor community really is, a community that cares for each other. At the conclusion of the walk, she thanked everyone for gathering, expressed appreciation for the student who intervened to speak up for her, and then said, in reference to the person who said the hateful things to her, “I am praying for you, and I love you…and everyone here loves you, and we just want to see the world be a better place.” A thoughtful and hopeful message for us all.