TOLEDO, Ohio — University of Toledo students are forming their own movement called 'Toledo Together.'
Mariah Coleman, Jayla Few and Zakiya Hatten, along with other UT students created 'ToledoTogether,' a group empowering the African American community by fighting racial injustice.
They host peaceful Black Lives Matter protests in the Toledo-area providing poets, song writers, and story tellers a platform to share their voices.
Their Facebook page states, "We bring the community together and allow everyone to voice their truth and remain true to our purpose for protesting."
"We're not just protesting to make noise. We're protesting to make change. And for change to happen, there has to be conversations," Few said.
On Thursday, the women talked with a Toledo police captain about a variety of topics including: police policy, deescalation tactics, accountability and race relations.
"It's getting to a point where they listen to us; hear our side. We listen to them; hear their side. We can find a middle ground," Coleman said.
Few said the conversation was also an opportunity to learn things they didn't know about the police department. For instance, officers are not allowed to use controversial neck restraints or chokeholds.
In a widely-seen video shot on May 25, Derek Chauvin is seen kneeling on George Floyd’s neck for nearly eight minutes. Thomas Lane and J Alexander Kueng helped hold Floyd down while Tou Thao stood watch.
All four fired Minneapolis police officers now face criminal charges in Floyd's death.
Coleman, Few and Hatten said that they want police officers to stand side by side with protesters but they want their support to be genuine.
"We're not protesting the cops that actually feel like what's happening is wrong. We're protesting racist cops. We're protesting the cops that pull their guns first before opening their mouths," Hatten said.
"With communication, I feel like it can make Toledo's community stronger than it's now and that's what we're going for," Coleman said.
The group will be hosting another peaceful protest June 5 at Centennial Mall on the University of Toledo at 12 p.m. Protesters are encouraged bring pen and paper and write letters to the families of black lives lost.