"The bottom line is to bring people together," Hines said during his speech. “This is a great country, and we’re not going to let a few people change it.”

Hines has been facilitating talks on race and police brutality since his son received brain damage at the hands of a police officer, he said.

“We have to keep talking," Cochran said. "We have to know that hate and racism still exist."

Comparative culture and politics sophomore Emma Repp, a member of the Wesley Foundation, said the timing of the event was especially important.

"This is a very important event, especially after the recent shootings (in Charlotte, N.C.)," Repp said.

The common refrain throughout the event was how important it was to keep peaceful conversations flowing.

“A failure to properly engage in these dialogues fails the people,” comparative culture and politics sophomore and Wesley Foundation member Samuel Klahn said.

Wriggelsworth's talk emphasized that police are humans and make mistakes, but every police chief expects their officers to make the right choice every single time.

"Please don't throw a blanket over all 750,000 of us," Wriggelsworth said during his speech.

English and secondary education junior Rachel Tuller said the event provides a peaceful platform for people to come together and talk.

"Even if only a couple of people get different views, it's still a success," Tuller said.