LOUISVILLE, Ky. ⁠— A group of Kentucky students and their teacher are using the Juneteenth celebration to honor black lives, specifically those who died because of police brutality.

“This is a casket that represents all the lives that were taken by police brutality,” said Olivia Benford.

Benford, 18, and her fellow students are writing names of victims. Benford the names are of those who have gone too quickly due to police brutality. It’s to commemorate the lives during the Juneteenth celebrations.

“This is a representation of their lives and how much they matter. So putting them all into one is our way of honoring them today and not just today, for the rest of our lives,” Benford said.

The black-painted casket represents a time of mourning

Marchers carried the casket down the streets of Louisville to the Roots 101 African American Museum, similar to a funeral procession

The idea behind the casket came from Matt Kaufmann, a teacher from Louisville.

“On the front you will see a lion with a door knocker and that’s to symbolize royalty. One of the chants in the march today is going to be who are we? We are royalty,” Kaufmann said.

The gold knocking, he said, symbolizes knocking for justice.

“We want this something of healing for the community. It’s been a collaborative endeavor, it’s been intergenerational, intercultural, it’s interracial. It opens up, it’s very deep and inside of it,” Kaufmann said. “We’re hoping people can put prayers, wishes, responses to the question what does it mean to become a better ancestor and how can all of us become better ancestors in our own way.”

Echoing the same message, the youth are also advocating for a change.

The casket will ultimately be part of an exhibition at the Roots 101 African American Museum in Louisville in the near future.