“The chief of police got my brother killed. He don’t care. He shows no emotion at all.” – Stevante Clark. On the evening of March 18th 2018 in Sacramento, California, a 22 year-old unarmed African American man Stephon Clark, who was a loving father of two sons was shot and killed in his own backyard by two Sacramento Police officers, one black and one white. Which reignited the national debate on race and policing in the United States. Ozuki Komatsu investigates the critical issues of hatred towards other races shown by human nature. For the last several decades, civil rights activists have been fighting against the significant issue of prejudice all over the world, especially in the United States against African Americans and Native Americans. …show more content…
Stephon Clark was unarmed when he was shot 20 times when he rushed away from the officers into his backyard, although all he had in his hand was a cell phone police assumed it as a weapon but obviously it was just a “mistake” that was made by them. Furthermore, officers fired their guns without even giving him a single warning and this incident has doubted our society’s belief based on the justice and equality of black …show more content…
And we are here to say that we are going to stand with Stephon Clark and the leaders of this family. It’s time for us to go down and stop this madness.” The Prosecution of Stephen Clark has assisted the voice of black lives as it helps them fight for genuine equality and justice which isn’t amplified enough in our world. As it was shown through the character of Atticus, Harper Lee teaches the lesson to fight against the prejudice for the equality and justice. This is evident as the scene when Bob Ewell attacked Jem and Scout while they were walking home from the school auditorium, Jem tried to fend off Bob Ewell even though the attacker has a switchblade. In this scene, Jem shows the importance to fight back even when the situation is unfavourable. Correspondingly, the protagonist demonstrates that good parenting can eliminate an idea of stereotype which leads to the argument of how good parenting can eliminate the negative beliefs against other race, religion and
Throughout the novel, Atticus’ assistance to Jem and Scout’s development becomes evident. Atticus takes every opportunity to attempt to teach his children the importance of having an open-mind. For instance, when Scout queries Atticus about Maycomb’s prejudice perspective, he tells her, “You never really understand a person until…you climb in their skin and walk around in it.” (Lee 30) Even during the early stages of the novel, it is apparent that Atticus endeavors to instill the values of empathy and tolerance within Jem and Scout by teaching them how to have multiple perspectives on a situation. In addition, Atticus also attempts to enlighten his children about peaceful resolution in society. For example, when Atticus is chosen to defend Tom Robinson, Atticus tells Scout, you might hear some ugly talk about it at school but…you just hold your head high and keep those fists down.”...
Childhood is a continuous time of learning, and of seeing mistakes and using them to change your perspectives. In the book To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee illustrates how two children learn from people and their actions to respect everyone no matter what they might look like on the outside. To Kill A Mockingbird tells a story about two young kids named Scout and her older brother Jem Finch growing up in their small, racist town of Maycomb, Alabama. As the years go by they learn how their town and a lot of the people in it aren’t as perfect as they may have seemed before. When Jem and Scout’s father Atticus defends a black man in court, the town’s imperfections begin to show. A sour, little man named Bob Ewell even tries to kill Jem and Scout all because of the help Atticus gave to the black man named Tom Robinson. Throughout the novel, Harper Lee illustrates the central theme that it is wrong to judge someone by their appearance on the outside, or belittle someone because they are different.
Throughout the novel Atticus, Boo and Jem demonstrate, through actions, the important theme that everyone is brave in their own way. Atticus Finch shows through his actions that bravery can show up in many different ways. Although he lives in Alabama, surrounded by racists, Atticus shows extreme bravery in the way he defends Tom Robinson. Not only does Atticus defend Tom Robinson’s case in the courtroom, he also pours his heart and soul into protecting Robinson and his whole family from the angry mobs of Maycomb. When Atticus explains to Scout and Jem, “I couldn’t hold up my head in town, I couldn’t represent this county in legislature, I couldn’t even tell you or Jem not to do something again,” he models bravery and the importance of doing the right thing even under the most difficult circumstances (Lee 75).
This incident would have produced nothing more than another report for resisting arrest had a bystander, George Holliday, not videotaped the altercation. Holliday then released the footage to the media. LAPD Officers Lawrence Powell, Stacey Koon, Timothy Wind and Theodore Brisino were indicted and charged with assaulting King. Superior Court Judge Stanley Weisberg ordered a change of venue to suburban Simi Valley, which is a predominantly white suburb of Los Angeles. All officers were subsequently acquitted by a jury comprised of 10 whites, one Hispanic and one Asian, and the African American community responded in a manner far worse than the Watts Riots of 1965. ?While the King beating was tragic, it was just the trigger that released the rage of a community in economic strife and a police department in serious dec...
Harper Lee’s use of external conflicts expresses Atticus’s true courage when he decides to take Tom Robinson’s case. Atticus knows that defending Tom Robinson will arise conflict and bitterness. He knows that “she [Scout] and Jem will have to absorb some pretty ugly things…” (88). In fact, the trial will cause people to bully Atticus’s kids and call them names. People like Cecil Jacobs
The civil rights movement was a popular historical movement that worked to allow African Americans to have equal rights and privileges as U.S. citizens. The movement can be defined as a struggle against racial segregation and discrimination that began in the 1950s. Although the origins of the civil rights movement go back to the 1800s, the movement peaked in the 1950s and 1960s. African American men and women, along with whites, organized and led the movement from local to national levels. Many actions of the civil rights movement were concentrated through legal means such as negotiations, appeals, and nonviolent protests. When we think of leaders or icons of the movement we usually think of Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. Even though Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. are important figures, their participation in the movement was minimal compared to other unknown or forgotten figures. Howell Raines’s, My Soul Is Rested, contains recollections of voices from followers of the civil rights movement. These voices include students, lawyers, news reporters, and civil right activists. Although the followers of the movement were lesser known, the impact they made shaped the society we live in today.
To Kill a Mockingbird is a story about equality. In the setting of this book (Maycomb, Alabama) the inequality of races is completely normal to people’s everyday lives. The disrespect of African-Americans in this book is an ordinary occurrence that most people have grown up accustomed to, but there are some who don’t wish to be a part of this discrimination. One of these people being Atticus Finch, the father of Jem and Scout. Atticus uses the world around him to teach his children how to give all people respect no matter what their race or social class is. Atticus Finch is a good-hearted, moral lawyer in the discriminatory town of Maycomb Alabama. Amongst the blabbermouths and discriminatory townspeople of Maycomb, Atticus wants his children to be different from them, and to learn how to respect the dignity of everyone using the changes in their lives to teach them.
We have heard a lot about criminals who have gotten shot by the police, but we haven’t heard of a case where police officer killed innocent man to death, except in the case of Eric Garner. Eric Garner’s case sparked about institutional racism in America’s criminal justice system because he was killed for minor crime and the grand jury didn’t indict the officer.
This paper was written to discuss the hot button topic, “Black Lives Matter.” Specifically, in regard to law enforcement. This has been an ongoing and controversial issue ever since the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting of Trayvon Martin. This is when the movement “Black Lives Matter,” was born, with the belief that blacks are treated unfairly by law enforcement. I, however, do not believe that blacks are treated any more unfairly by law enforcement than any other race.
In 2014, the death of Eric Garner in New York City raised controversial conversations and highlighted the issues of race, crime, and policing in neighborhoods that tend to be poor and racially isolated. Garner, an unarmed black man, was killed after being tackled and held in a “chokehold.” According to the AP Polls in December 2014, “Police killings of unarmed blacks were the most important news stories of 2014.” The problem is that young black men are targeted by police officers in which they have responded with the misuse of force and policy brutality. It is evident that this issue affects many people nationwide. The civilians do not trust the police department and the justice system because they hold the perceptions that police officers are immune from prosecution despite their actions. In particular, black individuals, specifically black males, do not feel safe in the presence of police officers because they are not held accountable for their mistakes.
In America, police brutality affects and victimizes people of color mentally and socially. Social injustice has become a major issue, which involved the principle of white supremacy vs minorities. The current police brutality that has been occurring is culturally disconnecting ethnicities from one another. According to Cincinnati Police Chief Jeffrey Blackwell, “…the cultural disconnect is very real; you have the weight of generations of abuse on African Americans,” (Flatow, 2016). For example, over the past four years, there have been countless acts of police brutality. The three key deaths of Eric Garner, Philando Castile, and Alton Sterling have become the face of police brutality in the year 2016. People knew that it was unequal treatment of black people by police in the United States and they made it known by creating #BlackLivesMatter.
Atticus is a great leader of his family, teaching his children morals and life lessons. He makes them better people by showing them how to deal with the trial and people making fun of them. Atticus teaches Scout how to respect other people. First, Scout learns to respect Atticus, then to respect "Boo" Radley, and finally to respect a whole race of people, negroes. He makes it a common practice to live his life as he would like his children to live theirs, and thus displays the attributes of an honest, respectable, and kind man. Throughout the trial process, Atticus shows Jem and Scout that true courage is standing up for what you believe in and that all human beings, despite their race, deserve respect. "You never really understand a person until you climb into his skin and walk around in it." This quote shows that Atticus wants his children to get along with people, and so other people will respect them for whom they are.
It is sad to say that the killing of Walter Scott by Officer Slager is all too familiar. Every time we turn around there is a black man, black woman, black little girl, or a black little boy that is being gunned down by those who are supposed to protect us. I read somewhere online that in the past five years there have been two hundred police shootings in the state of South Carolina, seventy of them resulted in deaths, and none of the officers were found guilty. We must stop the violence of our people, especially by those who are supposed to protect and save us. We have to stop sitting and waiting on decisions, and go demand them ourselves. It is necessary that we keep our young black men and women out of the streets and prison systems and
Although Jem initially was very childish, the events of the story caused him to have a change of attitude as he matured; by the end of the novel, he is a much matured young adult. This development would not have been possible without Bob Ewell trying to attack Jem and Scout or the Tom Robinson court case. Because Jem learns this lesson, it is clear that Harper Lee intended for her audience to understand what real courage is all
In Harper Lee's novel To Kill A Mockingbird, the protagonist Scout faces offenses by others because of her father's justice for defending an African American in court. Scout Finch lives with her brother Jem, and their father Atticus, in the sleepy town of Maycomb during the Great Depression. As Atticus, the father of the protagonist faces the moral dilemma in chapter 29-30 of the incident with Bob Ewell. Atticus moral dilemma reveals his character and beliefs. Bob Ewell attempted to hurt Atticus children in order to get revenge on Atticus for defending the African American who was accused of raping his daughter in court.