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Teal Flags Convey Silent Prayers in East Lansing

A sexual assault survivors advocacy group is making a quiet but colorful statement on a busy East Lansing street. 

 

“POSSE” stands for Parents of Sister Survivors Engage.  The organization was formed in the wake of the Larry Nassar sexual abuse scandal that embroiled Michigan State University.  On Tuesday, the group hung dozens of teal prayer flags between streetlights on Grand River Avenue.  Most were inscribed with messages of support from thousands of students.

East Lansing Mayor Mark Meadows says he doesn’t think the community has healed, but its culture has changed.

“You can learn from mistakes and you can not repeat those mistakes,” Meadows says.  “Where they are repeated…that’s the real sadness.”

Several campus organizations helped create the flags.  A formal dedication ceremony is planned in the near future. 

 

 

 

Kevin Lavery served as a general assignment reporter and occasional local host for Morning Edition and All Things Considered before retiring in 2023.
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