•Bruce Mayrock (1949-1969)
By Ifesinachi Ezeofór
Fire, either as an ideology or a reality, shares a universal colouration – it must be put under control.
Around 3pm on Thursday 29 May 1969, there was fire on the lawn outside the United Nations (UN) Building in New York City, right in front of hundreds of terrified delegates and onlookers…
Two UN guards with fire extinguishers approached to put out the flames, but this fire was on a man. This man would later be known as our hero, Bruce Mayrock.
Still, on flames, he eluded the two UN guards running to the North Lounge where he stopped at the sculpted bronze statue by Evgeniy Vuchetich with the biblical inscription “Let Us Beat Swords Into Plowshares”.
He was carrying a cardboard sign which said, “You must stop the genocide—please save 9 million Biafrans.” The back side of the placard also read: “Peace is where there is an absence of fear of any kind.”
Bruce Mayrock (6 May 1949 – 30 May 1969) from Old Westbury, New York was a first-class graduate from Yeshivah College, a student of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America and a student in the School of General Studies, Columbia University, New York. He had also studied briefly at Hofstra University and was working as a photo journalist for the publication, Columbia Daily Spectator.
So, what concerned a 20-year-old university student in America with what was happening in far away Biafra?
Before 29 May 1969, Bruce Mayrock protested actively by writing letters to leading government personnel and the president of the United States of America, to stop the war. As a journalist and researcher, he must have seen pictures and videos of the killings from Biafra, the pathetic sight of kwashiorkor-stricken Biafran children, the cut-off of necessary food and supplies that were essential for more than four million innocent Biafran women and children. He had seen the gory images of dead Biafran soldiers, and the general destruction and wreckage of Biafran land, the atrocities that were being committed against the Igbos in Nigeria.
His immolation revealed the deep despair that may have occurred in his heart, as he could no longer live in a world filled with all sorts of gruesome activities. What perturbed him the most was that people were being exterminated but his country showed their passivity and was unconcerned.
A Rabbi near his family said Bruce Mayrock, believed “no one was listening.” He had probably hoped that his action would direct the attention of his country and the entire world to halt the carnage in the Eastern Nigeria during the civil war, which never happened, or perhaps it did in the long run as he is being remembered today and each year for his bravery and selfless act of love toward the Biafran land and Nigeria at large.
Bruce Mayrock’s self-immolation serves as a reminder of the power of an individual’s action to draw attention to imperative causes. His huge sacrifice was a stand against injustices, lack of even-handedness, and human suffering that has continued to ravage nations of the world and Nigeria in particular.
Present-day generations can be motivated by his example to raise awareness, engage in healthy activism, and work toward positive change in the face of challenges and humanitarian issues.
In a nutshell, Mayrock’s act demonstrates the potential impact of individuals, groups of persons, professionals from different sectors, and/or state actors in inspiring collective exertions for a better world.
•Ezeofór (a public commentator, peace ambassador, communication, business, and PR strategist), writes from Ekwulobia, Anambra State, Nigeria.
Email: ifesinachiezeofor@gmail.com
