Why do Black Lives Matter?
Black lives matter. It’s something so simple and straightforward but why does it stir up angry emotions. Why is it that when people say black lives matter why do they believe that all other races are not included in the rhetoric? We live in a society of individualism and selfishness. The second someone turns their attention away from themselves, they get offended and make it about themselves. The second people educate themselves on why black lives matter, then people of color no longer have to say it.
Racism first began with slavery starting in the 1600s and ending in 1865. However, blacks were not granted complete equal rights. In the 1960s, a relatively short time ago, blacks were discriminated against heavily
Many say that the protests are problematic however, how are peaceful protests problematic? People also believe that the hashtag is exclusionary however, the movement has in fact included all people who have been killed by police. If the all lives matter argument was included, why don’t they also fight for the men and women being killed by police every day?
There is a solid glimmer of hope for blacks with the upcoming elections and the higher level of educated people. Blacks and people of color are fighting harder and stronger of their rights. The issue is that many marginalized groups, Blacks and Hispanics, do not usually vote in elections whether it be because of being uneducated on what is going on with our governmental agencies or not being sure which side to vote. Personally may family members of mine prefer to vote for Hillary Clinton despite her anti-black past.
In order for more change to be made more education needs to happen on what the black community has contributed to America. Many blacks have invented tools and things that are used every day within American society. Blacks have also contributed aspects of culture and society so why are we still discriminated against?
Since their arrival in North America, Blacks have been abused and oppressed into a state less than human. In an article written by W.E.B. Du Bois he said, “The sincere and passionate belief that somewhere between men and cattle God created a tertium quid, and called it a negro” (Du Bois). In the late 19th and 20th centuries a strong push for economic and social progress for African-Americans was being made. The prominent leaders of this movement amongst the Black community were Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois, however they had very differing views on how to achieve this goal (PBS.org). Washington and Du Bois essentially split the Black community into two parties, radical and conservative. Du Bois, the radical, preached for a strong political and civil rights agenda, and uplift for Blacks through education. Washington pushed for Blacks to accept their racial discrimination until they had proven themselves through hard work and self help (PBS.org). It is common to refer to knowledge as power; if you prove to someone that you are intellectually equal or superior there, can be no further debate. That is why Du Bois’ push for higher education and political action were the means to equal citizenship for Blacks in a White supremacist America.
Blacks in America today have overcome so much and had to prove themselves for many years. The progression of blacks through history has been slow and not always easy. As an African American I respect the struggles that blacks like Cecil Gaines had to overcome to get blacks where they are today. Even after slavery ended in 1865, when the Emancipation Proclamation was signed blacks still struggled for equal rights for many decades. It took a long time for African Americans to be looked at as equals and get equal benefits even after slavery ended.
Racism has been in the United States since the beginning of time, when the whites first settled here they were racist against the Indians, they beat killed and cleared out their tribes, bust because they wanted their land. Then you see a different form of racism between blacks and whites, it was present just because of skin color; you see segregation between the two races up until the 1950s when schools became integrated, but the racism was still there. Whites refused to sit next to blacks, use the same bathrooms, use the same drinking fountain, and wouldn't be seen in the same church. The only reason for racism is people were so stuck in their own ways and they would deny the fact that a person is a person despite their skin color.
Racism in politics seems to be a primary topic that has grabbed the attention of the public due to the fact of people waking up and noticing the problem. Originally after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, in 1870 the first black U.S. senators were elected to office. Then after those few senators, there was a long time where none were elected. Racism still has not disappeared, even after multiple attempts to stop it. In politics today, lawmakers consider many movements such as “Black Lives Matter” and even consider these movements in the presidential candidate debates. Needless to say, this conversation would be nonexistent if racism was not in politics.
Freedom of speech is a right that is granted to every individual, otherwise, it will be illegal. Vinson faults people of different ethnicity for taking the freedom of speech away. It is fine for anyone to express their opinion in an appropriate manner. A protest called “Black Lives Matter” grabs the attention of the public. The goal of the protest is to raise awareness that racism is hurting many people based on the incidents that happened. “Black Lives Matter” gathered many participants in an effort to fight for justice. Even “leaders from the Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Indigenous African and Unitarian Universalist faiths gathered to give witness to our unwavering support for the Black Lives Matter Movement” (Kolodny). The movement gathered a diverse group of people that portrays the spirit of unity in
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.
American is known for its rich culture and diversity. Black lives matter (BLM) is an international activist movement, originating in the African-American community, that campaigns against violence and systemic racism toward black people as defined by google. It was created in 2012 as a call to action for black people after seventeen year old Trayvon Martin was placed on trial for his own murder and the killer, George Zimmerman, was not held accountable for the crime that he had committed. It was a response for the anti-Black racism that still remains in our society and within the movement itself. It is a movement that goes beyond the killing of black people by police and vigilantes. It calls for the Black community to love each other, live
The Black Lives Matter campaign is a major movement in the United States. The campaign started because of the police brutality that occurred against African Americans across the nation. The African American community began this activist movement in order to raise awareness of the mistreatment of African Americans by the police. Furthermore, the campaign strives to solve the issues of racial profiling and injustice in the United States’ criminal society. The first demonstration of the Black Lives Matter campaign occurred after the Trayvon Martin case. Trayvon Martin, a young African American teenager, was shot and killed by neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman for no apparent reason. Despite this, George Zimmerman’s trial was acquitted. Following this unjust sanction, protestors coined the hashtag “blacklivesmatter” on social media and began public demonstrations to show their anger toward the criminal justice system.
#BlackLivesMatters is more than a hashtag, it is a social liberation movement. Coming to fruition in 2012 after the infamous Trayvon Martin murder case, Black Lives Matter was born as a reaction to the great injustice this case displayed towards a young black teen. As a social movement Black Lives Matter uses multiple communicative methods to spread their message. By combining traditional methods like peaceful protests called StandUp in their events calendar, with contemporary communication applications like Twitter, Black Lives Matter has gained much support and power. The key to the buzzing conversation surrounding Black Lives Matter can be attributed to their integration of popular communicative techniques, specifically Twitter. By combining
Throughout history, African Americans have encountered an overwhelming amount of obstacles for justice and equality. You can see instances of these obstacles especially during the 1800’s where there were various forms of segregation and racism such as the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan terrorism, Jim- Crow laws, voting restrictions. These negative forces asserted by societal racism were present both pre and post slavery. Although blacks were often seen as being a core foundation for the creation of society and what it is today, they never were given credit for their work although forced. This was due to the various laws and social morals that were sustained for over 100 years throughout the United States. However, what the world didn’t know was that African Americans were a strong ethnic group and these oppressions and suffrage enabled African Americans for greatness. It forced African Americans to constantly have to explore alternative routes of intellectuality, autonomy and other opportunities to achieve the “American Dream” especially after the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments were passed after the Civil War.
In 2015, the headlines of most newspapers and magazines have been about civil rights controversies and concerns. A prominent organization affiliated with these civil rights issues is Black Lives Matter. Also known as BLM, Black Lives Matter was founded in the summer of 2013 and stimulated by the shooting of a black suspect, Trayvon Martin, by a white neighborhood watch, George Zimmerman. BLM uses social media to campaign against violence toward African-Americans. Protests are frequently arranged around inequality, racial profiling, and the killings of black people by law enforcement by the United States criminal justice system. This movement is inspired by the African-American civil rights movement which was created to end racial segregation
As time goes on, people have gone to great lengths to try to improve relations with blacks, and to fix the errors of the past. Laws have been made to try to give African Americans the same opportunities as whites, but as hard as people try, there is always going to be some ignorant people who will not obey these laws and make no efforts to be friends with them. If parents teach their children at young ages about racism, there might be a chance for the upcoming generations to live in a society where people are not judged by the color of their skin.
Race relations are always a scary or uncomfortable topic for people to discuss amongst groups of different ethnicities and racial identities. It is a long standing tradition in the United States to walk a fine line and use politically correct terms in the above mentioned setting but to feel perfectly comfortable to speak freely when in a setting surrounded by likeminded people who share similar political affiliations and race. This is the main reason discussions surrounding the idea of race are too often avoided in today’s school systems and in society in general. If we are to encourage our students and children to be free thinking future citizens of our global society, we must first become one ourselves. The only way to accomplish this
This image says a thousand or more words. This African American woman has her mouth covered. I interpret that meaning is that we as African Americans have been silenced. When it comes to our issues being heard or the problems we have the majority ignores us and leaves us silent. And then looks confused when there are uproars caused because people of color want to defend their rights.
...the biggest win in the United States as a whole, but also for the African American community Have we as a people come together to overcome obstacles of race and discrimination over the years? The answer to that is yes, yes we have. Years ago, people never understood that being different from one another is okay. Yes, there still is racism in this country but that may never go away because how people were raised to the mindset of segregation and hate. The question I asked in the beginning, are African-Americans constitutional rights today still intact and effective than how their rights were 500 years ago. With the cases and their outcomes makes the conclusion that yes African American right are still to this day intact and better enforced equally than how it was 500 years ago. We as a people have improved and are still improving on social issues, equality, and race.