Dozens of young Madisonians gathered at the University of Wisconsin’s Multicultural Student Center Tuesday night to address the death of Tony Robinson and the subsequent protests and events.

The meeting, hosted by the Young, Gifted and Black Coalition, was meant to provide a safe space for the community’s youth to gather and talk about the past month’s events, YGB organizer Brandi Grayson said. The meeting was also meant to help educate the community’s youth on making appropriate decisions regarding their actions moving forward, she added.

“[The goal of the meeting is] to provide them with structure and education and knowledge in order for them to construct an objective and purpose,” Grayson said. “So when they decide to protest, when they decide enough is enough, that they have tools at their disposal to make the appropriate decisions.”

Protesters gather after MPD officer shoots, kills 19-year-old black man

The meeting drew close to 50 people, with middle-schoolers and college students alike gathering to share their emotions and ideas.

YGB’s Alix Shabazz, who primarily facilitated the event, stressed the need for communal listening and respect.

Attendees discussed similarities and differences between the city of Ferguson, Missouri and Madison, types of action to take moving forward and reasons why racial disparities exist in communities.

Shabazz created a “tree of oppression” to illustrate various issues surrounding race.

The leaves and the trunk of the tree illustrated issues that many African American people face throughout their lives. Some of these issues included getting killed, getting profiled and going to jail.

But Shabazz said to face these everyday problems, people must get to the root of the problem: racism.

The group discussed the August 2014 events in Ferguson, Missouri, in which a white police officer shot and killed an African American teenager, sparking protests and violence.

Individuals cited the similarities between Ferguson and Madison’s officer-involved shooting, noting the two communities’ disproportionate incarceration rates as longstanding racial issues.

But attendees also noted several differences between both cities, specifically on demographics. Ferguson has a higher population of people of color with more overt racial issues while Madison presents itself as liberal, progressive and has been listed as one of the “top 100 places to live,” attendees said. They raised the question, “For who?”

“Madison likes to think there’s no racism,” Shabazz said. “But Madison is a lot worse than Ferguson in some aspects.”

Madison community members peacefully protest officer involved shooting of 19-year-old male

The group also addressed what kind of actions they need to take to ensure their voices are heard and demands are met.

Robinson’s grandmother, Sharon Irwin, stressed the importance of peaceful, active community involvement.

“This is not just about my grandson …[the police] are killing kids — period,” Irwin said. “They need to be held accountable. They’re not above the law.”