6 Vigils For The Black Lives Lost This Week

Within 24 hours, two African-American men were fatally shot and killed by police officers this week. On Tuesday, Alton Sterling was shot by police officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and on Wednesday night, Philando Castile was shot by a police officer outside of St. Paul, Minnesota. Across the country, people are coming together to mourn these two men, separately and together: In some circumstances, vigils originally planned for Sterling will include Castile. Some of the vigils for Alton Sterling and Philando Castile are being held by Black Lives Matter groups, others will take place at universities, in parks, or at places of worship.

According to The Washington Post, Alton Sterling was the 114th black man to be fatally shot by law enforcement officers in 2016 — Philando Castile was the 115th. It's heartbreaking to realize that so many black men are shot by police officers in the United States, that by the time a vigil is planned for one man, another has been shot and is in need of remembrance.

Many of the vigils being held in honor of Sterling and Castile will be held on Thursday night — 24 hours after Castile's death, and 48 after Sterling was shot. People from the governor of Louisiana to President Barack Obama have encouraged Americans to come out and remember Sterling and Castile. What follows is a list of vigils for Sterling and Castile that anyone can attend:

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Sterling was shot and killed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Therefore, one of the largest vigils for the 37-year-old father of five will be held in Baton Rouge on Thursday night at the Living Faith Christian Center. The governor of Louisiana, John Bel Edwards, will speak at the event.

St. Paul, Minnesota

Castile was a beloved cafeteria supervisor at a Montessori charter school in St. Paul. Members of the J.J. Montessori School community will host a vigil for Castile at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday night.

Nashville, Tennessee

The Nashville chapter of Black Lives Matter originally planned their Friday night vigil for Sterling — tragically, it is now set to include Castile, too. The event honoring Sterling and Castile will begin at 7 p.m. at Nashville's Public Square.

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Students at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, will mourn Sterling in a vigil at 8 p.m. on Thursday night. The event was planned by students, but faculty from the university's Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs center will speak at the event, too.

New York City, New York

The Stop Mass Incarceration Network and the NYC Revolution Club will host an event in Union Square in honor of Sterling, Castile, and Delwarn Small at 5 p.m. on Thursday night. The groups work to stop "police terror," and want police officers to be held accountable for their actions.

Seattle, Washington

A large vigil for Sterling and Castile will be held in Seattle on Thursday night. The 6 p.m. vigil will honor the victims, and hopes to make clear to lawmakers in Washington state, that police must be held accountable for their actions.