The Black Lives Matter Movement
This discussion is the war against black people, even in 2021, and how we can change it.
The Black Lives Matter Movement is an international human rights group that includes African American people who are fighting against suppression and inequality.
After what happened in 2020 with the breaking news of the death of George Floyd who died at the hands of a police officer, millions are fighting for justice for him as black people are not new to the police brutality and are angry that this has happened yet again to another fellow black citizen.
I am a follower of this group and I felt it was necessary to raise as much awareness of this.
I live in the UK but have always had a curiosity about American politics mainly because of its interesting backstory and history. And because this topic is very important in America now, I felt the urge to write about it. I would also like to disclaim that racism has happened since the beginning of time and not just in America, so it is important to acknowledge that this is a global issue and will definitely not be ignored.
I will be giving you all important information sources as well as tips for you to look through to gain yourself a better understanding of the movement
1Do your research
Everyone always wants to solve problems but what if the only way to do that is to gain knowledge on it, black people have been oppressed for generations and we still as people who see this on the news don’t know the facts, this is one cause of why people are so racist because people can be too ignorant to ever want to make a change.
Racism has not just been a social issue it has been engraved and normalized for generations in the system. An example of this is the employment rates within the black community are so low compared to whites which makes me so sad.
The justice system in America is broken as they are always finding differential treatment and a racial bias. In Fact, in England, you are six times as likely to get stopped if you were a black person than a white. But in America, you are twice as likely to get killed by a cop while being unarmed than a white individual. Things called redlining which was a corrupt and racist practice that barred minority communities from building wealth and sharing the popular wish everyone wanted “The American dream.” Unfortunately, its effect is still here today with black homeownership being at its all-time low.
Doing your research does not have to be confined to black history month, do your research regardless of what month it is, read non-fictional books, documentaries, true story movies, or even just looking on websites. As someone who is part of the movement, your top priority is to be knowledgeable and gain an understanding of what black people really had to go through. We are never going to better our society if we don’t learn about the faults in it.
2Join the movement
I understand that there is a major pandemic going on and I do encourage you to stay indoors but that doesn’t mean you cant to do anything to help the movement. There are millions of charities out there and organizations that are trying to get funds to help black lives and you can be the one out of millions that can help. For people that may not have the money to do this, that’s totally okay because there are many YouTubers and influencers that are using the additional revenue on their videos to help donate to the charities therefore not only you have made a difference but money is not needed.
Sadly, black people are still being killed by the people who promised to protect them and that is a big fact of why more and more people are not standing for it. People demand justice and demand that those people who have hurt innocent citizens that they are not hidden away any longer.
We live in a world full of technology and although it has its faults, without it we wouldn’t have been able to see the injustice that people have caused on others. If you want to make a change to this broken law then I suggest you do your research.
Many people fear today to ever speak about this matter this is because of the racist system which is trying its utmost to silence us, but we can’t let it. Don’t be a bystander, help support the BLM community.
Films/series
When They See Us:
when they see us is based on an event that happened on April 19th, 1989. The central park jogger case. It’s about 5 teenage boys of color who were prosecuted on charges related to sexual assault on a female victim. Korey Wise, aged 16, was one of the boys who was prosecuted. he was treated as an adult and served his time in an adult prison. In 2003, they filed a suit against the city for a wrongful conviction to all 5 boys.
Seven Seconds:
When 15-year-old Brenton Butler dies in a hit and runs accident with a white police officer behind the wheel. People become outraged about this situation but who was behind the attack? This crime series uncovers the truth about what really happened in that car accident and the attempted cover-up the police tried to make.
Just Mercy:
after graduating from Harvard law school, Bryan Stevenson decides to go to Alabama to fight for those that were wrongly condemned or just didn’t have the money to be represented. his first case was Walter McMillan who was sentenced to die in 1987 for the murder of an 18-year-old girl. although there was evidence to prove his innocence nobody believed him. During Bryans’s time-fighting for walters freedom, Bryan encounters racism and mischievous coverups.
Books:
They Can’t Kill Us All:
Brings alive the quest for justice in the deaths of Micheal Brown, Tamir Rice, and Freddie Gray. Revealing the sad reality of police violence in America.
Unapologetic a Black, Queer, and Feminist Mandate for Radical Movements:
Americans’ most influential activist disputes political, economic, and social norms by reimaging the black radical traditions.
Stay Woke:
the essential guide to understanding racism and how racial inequality shapes black lives.
Thanks to the people who have taken the time to read this but finally there is one thing I would like you to take from this blog.
The true measure of our character is how we treat the poor, the disfavored, the accused, the incarcerated, and the condemned. We are all implicated when we allow other people to be mistreated. -Bryan Stevenson
