Saturday, a group of UK students held a healing circle to focus internally about the deaths of two black men this week. 

On Tuesday, Alton Sterling was killed after an encounter with two Baton Rouge police officers. On Wednesday, Philando Castile was killed by a police officer during a traffic stop in Falcon Heights, Minnesota. 

ForBlackUK posted on Twitter Thursday about Saturday’s event. The event began at 1 p.m. on the lawn in front of the main building.

Della Mosley, a doctoral student and the event’s coordinator, said the event was created to allow students to grieve in a safe, protective space. Mosley said the event used creative healing exercises. 

This is what is meant by #wegotus come thru if ur in town and u r #forBlackUK #blacklivesmatter pic.twitter.com/VqCI0c3oMI

— ForBlackUK (@ForBlackUK) July 7, 2016

Counselors from the Violence Intervention and Prevention Center were available for anyone to speak during the healing circle. 

Another UK doctoral student Allison Jones sang at the healing circle. She sang the Black National Anthem and “I Can Hear the Neighbors Crying; I Can’t Breathe,” a song that she learned for the healing circle and one that she felt fitting for the event. 

“I think that fear and silence are two of the biggest issues that we have. There is no communication, there is no connection, there is no understanding about what is going on between races and between color,” Jones said. “It’s so heartbreaking that we are having to do this over and over again – talk about race and talk about fear and and talk about killing our black men.”

Tonight, BlackLivesMatter: Vigil for Alton Sterling and Philando Castile will be held at 8 p.m. in Triangle Park. Meghana Kudrimoti, a UK sophomore, organized the event.