39 BOTHAM JEAN MEMORIAL DESIGNED BY OLIVIA DUNN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE BOTHAM JEAN MEMORIAL was completed on Sept. 29, 2021— the day that would have been his 30th birthday. To reflect on this loss and honor his life, the student body paused in solidarity. At 1 p.m. in front of the David B. Burks American Heritage Building, Harding University unveiled a bench commemorating the life of alumnus Botham Shem Jean. On Sept. 6, 2018, the life of Botham Jean was taken by an offduty police officer. While sitting on the couch eating ice cream in his Dallas apartment, officer Amber Guyger opened fire on Jean thinking he was an intruder in her home. The incident gained national attention and shed light on the fractured relationship between the Black community and law enforcement. Jean’s life and death served as a painful reminder that injustice was still prevalent in the United States. The dedication service featured Good News Singers and men’s social club Sub T-16, groups Botham Jean was a part of when he was a student at Harding. Current Sub T-16 member junior Brendon McDonald provided his perspective on the ceremony. “I was honored to be present at this unforgettable ceremony to honor Botham not only as a member of the Harding community and Sub T-16, but also as a Black man in America,” McDonald said. “It’s stories and events like Botham’s tragic death that can make me feel hopeless, angered and even scared to go about my every day. However, it’s events like the one held here on campus that give me hope and inspire me to be able to do all I can to create and leave behind a legacy as treasured as Botham’s will be to those now and in the future.” Executive Vice President David Collins, who was involved in the orchestration of the dedication service, was proud to see the progress that had been made since the news of Jean’s death broke in 2018. “To honor his family, especially in that way, was special to be a part of and to witness,” Collins said. “I think the greatest honor for a family who’s lost a loved one is to know that their loved one made a difference. Being able to express that to the family was the greatest thing because Botham truly did impact the campus greatly.” The service evoked a range of emotions as it was inspiring and tear jerking. In the final moments of the ceremony, the first scholarship in Jean’s name was awarded to his brother junior Brandt Jean. The full-circle moment left him with only one thing to say. “I want people to understand the simplicity of being a servant,” Brandt Jean said. “It only takes for us to first identify and understand our gifts and to exploit them in the most Christ-like manner for the benefit of others.” WRITTEN BY JANAE BRADSHAW LEGACY LEFT BEHIND Monument honors life of alumnus Botham Jean.
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