I have previously written an article on this blog about the Black Lives Matter movement but given how prevalent it has been in the news due to current events, I thought it was more important than ever to write about this matter.
The three most important recent incidents that have sparked the urgency of this movement are George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery. George Floyd was murdered in Minneapolis after being accused of having a counterfeit $20 bill and kneed in the neck by a police officer for 8 minutes and 46 seconds during which the remaining 3 policemen stood and watched this horrendous act occur. Breonna Taylor was murdered in her own apartment after police authorities mistook her place for a criminal’s and entered using force. She was shot at least 8 times and none of the officers have been arrested to this day. The only thing that has happened is that one of the policemen has been fired. Where is the justice? Ahmaud Arbery was killed by two white ex police officers while he had gone for a run and it was only after the release of the video footage two months later that it became public. This goes to show how powerful our voices are when we use them for good. However, it’s hard to imagine to number of black deaths from police brutality that haven’t been recorded and documented or have gone unnoticed.
The definition of police brutality is a civil rights violation where police officers use excessive force or violence against civilians and we have seen it time and time again, with a particular focus on black people. Systemic racism still exists in America as displayed by the numerous attacks on and murders of African-Americans. The first time such an act was filmed was in Los Angeles in1992 when Rodney King was brutally beaten up by 4 white police officers who eventually were arrested (due to the video footage) but were acquitted and let off without facing any repercussions.
I grew up in a predominantly white town in Northern California and attended a private school. Due to my upbringing, I have experienced white privilege in the sense that I have never worried that whenever I went for a run or a walk, I could be targeted and not return home later. I have the privilege of associating police officers with safety, protection and comfort rather than the fear of assault that most black people feel because of hate previous treatment that they have been forced to endure. I am privileged that my parents have never had to teach me at a very young age to raise my arms above my head, state my name and declare that I am unarmed in the presence of the police. However, due to the continuous news exposures and events of police brutality, I now dread that the same could happen to my dark skinned 15 year old brother who loves to wear hoodies, loves to go on runs around the neighbourhood at night, abides by the rules and is non-confrontational.
Over the last month, violent protests have broken out across America and although I don’t condone violence, I understand the reasoning behind them which is frustration and desperation. There have been many, many attempts of peaceful protests which haven’t been successful in bringing about change. NFL player, Colin Kaepernick, knelt before every game during the national anthem in protest of the oppression and respectfully exercising his First Amendment constitutional right to stand up for what he believed in. So to an extent, I understand why people are annoyed and have resorted to physical violence. It comes as a form of retaliation after seeing the unlawfulness of police and their brutality has instigated the protests. There were peaceful protestors outside the White House who raise their arms in the air to show they didn’t have any weapons on them and meant no harm. Yet they were still shot at with rubber bullets which can fracture ribs and skulls. And they were also tear gassed which is forbidden in warfare under many treaties so it is inhumane to fire these at non-violent protestors who are pursuing their right to free speech. All of this happened just so that the President could get a photo op with a Bible in front of a church for media purposes. President Trump also demonstrated his white supremacist message through a tweet by declaring that he would use force to kill common civilians who have looted.
This may all seem like it’s purely an American problem. Having spent most of my time over the last few years and being quarantined in the UK, I now am aware of the situation from both an American perspective and English, which is similar to the global perspective. The UK is not innocent in this matter and neither is the rest of the world, and this means that we must continue fighting for justice for all black lives. I am only going to refer to a British example, but that doesn’t mean that institutionalised racism does not exist elsewhere in the world. No nation is guiltless or racism- whether it’s severe like police brutality or on a smaller scale with racist comments being made in schools, officers or other places. Arguably the most significant racially motivated and provoked attack was in 1993 when 18 year old Stephen Lawrence was repeatedly stabbed to death by a group of 5 white boys on his way home from a friend’s home in East London. After witnesses reports, it was found that the 5 suspects in the murder had previously been involved in racist knife attacks in the exact same area. After many investigations (both public and private), all five boys were not arrested and prosecuted due to a lack of “insufficient evidence.” This is just one example, but there are countless.
What happened to George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Philando Castile and the hundreds of others who have died due to racially motivated acts by law enforcement is disgusting and should not have any place in society today. I can’t even begin to fathom how many more events have taken place that haven’t been filmed or recorded and justice hasn’t been served. It is absurd that what Martin Luther King Jr and the rest of the Civil Rights Movement fought for back in 1965 is what black people still have to live with and continue fighting for today. Although we will never fully understand their everyday struggles, we must do all we can to stand with them and support them. It’s the very least we can do to end racism in the world today and that can be done through education. The first step is to call out racist comments or acts by your own family members and friends. Just because they are your parents’ beliefs doesn’t mean they have to be yours. Racial slurs, so called jokes, and ignorance of the significance of this worldwide movement is completely unacceptable. Donate to the bail funds of protestors or organizations who are fighting for change, sign petitions, email or call representatives and demand justice. Educate yourself by reading more, listening to podcasts watching videos, and listening and learning from stories of those who have struggled. Use social media in a positive way as a platform for getting the message across and share resources effectively. Use your privilege and your voice to support the movement and those involved in it. Do your part because without it, change will not happen. It is our duty and responsibility as the future generation to ensure that more innocent lives are not lost due to the traditional mentality that prevails in the world which needs to be eradicated. Black. Lives. Matter.
No Blank Spaces 