Contact
February 27, 2008 
Justice for Jason Vigil
Tonight (February 27) at 6-7PM
Malcolm X Cultural Center
(Below Berkshire DC of Southwest UMass Amherst)
On Sunday, February 3, 2008, Jason Vassell, a twenty-three year old African American student at UMass, was arrested and charged with two counts of assault with intent to murder and two counts of aggravated assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. These charges stem from an altercation that Jason had with two white men, who were on campus for no legitimate purpose and provoked the confrontation by smashing Jason’s dorm window and repeatedly referring to him as a “nigger.” Although Jason never left the dormitory, he was the only one charged at first. While one of the perpetrators, John Bowes, was recently charged with two hate crimes and disorderly conduct, the other white man, Jonathan Bosse, has not been charged as of yet.
Following the Yuri Kochiyama film and discussion in the MX Cultural Center (4-6pm)
Save the Date: Justice for Jason Rally on March 12th Location/Time TBA
On February 3, 2008, two white men appeared at the window of the dormitory room of Jason Vassell, a black student who was majoring in Biology at UMass Amherst. The two men subjected Jason to racial invective and threats of violence. They kicked in his window and later gained access to an outer lobby of his dorm, where they attacked Jason, breaking his nose and causing a serious concussion. Injured and attempting to defend himself, Jason wounded his assailants with a small knife while the police were on the way to the site of the crime.