Black lives matter; the whole world echoes
What happened?
On May 25 th , 2020, a man named George Floyd was murdered by a police officer named Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He was being arrested for allegedly using a counterfeit bill. Along with a, now heartbroken, family, Floyd also has a 6-year-old daughter who has to grow up without her father.
The police officer put his knee on George Floyd’s neck until he could no longer breathe. This was not an accident. There was no chaos at the scene. The officers chose to stand there and ignore the sound of George’s agonizing voice telling them “I can’t breathe”. An ambulance showed up a few moments after Floyd passed away and uniformed police officers came out of it. Many have pointed this out and questioned the authorities asking if there was an intention of saving his life at all as there was no paramedic in the ambulance. The police also said that he was “resisting arrest”, which was later falsified by CCTV footage caught by a restaurant showing the exact moments where Floyd was confronted by the police, and how he was fully cooperative.
Why is this suddenly such a big deal?
To the people asking this question, there is a simple answer. This is not the first time a person has been killed due to their skin color by the police. This is not the first time a black man/woman has gone out and not returned to their children or family. This is not a one-time thing.
Please take some time out to read the following examples I am about to present:
Breonna Taylor: A 27-year-old EMT shot in open fire by 3 plain-clothed police officers, who did not announce or knock before entering her apartment which was confirmed by the neighbors of Taylor, in a lawsuit filed by her Mother against these officers.
Philando Castile: A squad car approached Castile at a traffic light, and the officers proceeded to ask for his driving license and proof of insurance. Castile then gave something to the police officer through the window and said “Sir, I have to tell you, I do have a firearm on me.” Before Castile finished that sentence, Yanez (the police officer) pulled out his own gun while Castile, as his last words, said “Don’t pull it out!” before he got shot 7 times by the officer, while his girlfriend and 4-year-old were still in the car. This can all be seen by the squad car video.
Eric Garner: Garner passed away in 2014 after being murdered through a choke-hold by an NYPD officer, for allegedly selling cigarettes. His last words were “I can’t breathe” Michael Brown: An unarmed black teenager, who was shot and killed by a police officer in the middle of the street, who said Brown attacked him. An unarmed teenage boy allegedly attacked a fully armed police officer and therefore was murdered for it.
Tamir Rice: A 12-year- old boy shot to death while carrying what turned out to be a pellet gun. The police justified the killing by stating the orange tip was removed, and that Tamir looked big for a 12-year-old as he was 5’7 and wearing a size XL jacket. But my question is, is this the first and only thing they could’ve done for this situation? Or would this not have been handled differently if the colour of the boy’s skin was white?
These are certainly not the only African-Americans who lost their lives due to police brutality. Statistics show 99% of the killings by police from 2012-2019 have not resulted in officers being charged with a crime. Wearing a uniform does not and will never give anyone the right to murder a human being due to their prejudice and revolting thought process. We must understand and fight against this. May their families get justice and their souls rest in peace.
Why are there riots going around? Why can’t they just peacefully protest?
A riot is the language of the unheard. And what is it that America has failed to hear?
In the words of Alexander Yeh, a young writer, “Before asking, “Why aren’t they protesting peacefully?” consider how many peaceful protesters have not been heard, some silenced forever. Including King.
Above all: give them our hearts and our fight, and do not let the flame die out. Be active, be angry, but do not be apathetic.”
Is white privilege a myth?
For many, white privilege has been a myth. White privilege is to be able to walk in a store and find products that adhere to your skin tone. White privilege is not getting stared at when you go somewhere. White privilege is to not be treated differently, harmed, or even killed because of the color of your skin. To the people who do not realize the privilege they have, I have this to say; you are so privileged, that you do not recognize this as a privilege. Here are a few simple examples of the existence of white privilege:
Having the privilege to have a positive relationship with the police, generally.
Having the privilege of escaping violent stereotypes associated with your race
Having the privilege to go out of your house, and not fear if you will return home because of the color of your skin.
“All lives matter”
I have seen several comments like such under posts about the black lives matter movement. If you are one of the people thinking or saying this to others, understand this. Understand that once Black lives matter, it will be a step towards all lives mattering, therefore saying all lives matter is completely ignorant to the struggles faced by the African-Americans community. In simple words, all lives will start to matter once black lives start to matter. It is a chain of improvement we seek to promote by saying Black Lives Matter, while you just say a blatant, crammed sentence with no direction.
A word from Daniella, an African-American student studying at Michigan state university
“The Black Lives Matter Movement has resurfaced again after being relevant and active a few years ago when black men’s death were televised and shared all over the internet. The movement took a break for a while but the deaths and injustice that African Americans faced did not. There were many deaths and mistreatment that went on unseen that continued on the American tradition on racism. The movement in my opinion is important and pushes for conversations but it will not be productive until the people who stand on privilege and on the side of the oppressors to fully acknowledge these events and educate themselves for a better future. If none of those steps are taken, the movement will die out and come again in a cycle that will sacrifice the lives of African Americans”
Why this generation is going to make the difference.
Gen Z is going to make a difference, and here are some points as to why I believe that. We (a reference to a large number of us, but of course not all) are not only able to grasp and understand the severity of issues that we may not be facing ourselves but we see others face and trying to empathize as much as we can, however, we also demand change and demand to be heard.
As the black lives matter movement progresses, we have shown that in unity, we have strength. That we will not ignore what goes on in front of our eyes. And that we will certainly not sit by and watch innocents die because of objectionable thinking. We refuse to see our society plateau, and we refuse to just stay silent and take it.
My appeal to you is simple. It is to ask questions when you are told that there is only one right way, to voice your opinion if you think something is not right, and to do as much as you can to create awareness on something that needs attention. This world has a lot of issues and granted that we can’t fix everything, but we do have a large amount of power that we are not fully aware of. Question conventional thinking. Question what you don’t believe is right. Stand up for what you believe in, and we will truly change this world.
What can I do to help?
There are several things you can do to help, even if you don’t have the resources to donate. Here are a few:
Sign the following petitions:
https://www.change.org/p/justice-pour-george-floyd
https://www.change.org/p/andy-beshear-justice-for-breonna-taylor
https://www.change.org/p/city-of-state-anthony-to-get-justice-for-philando-castile
https://www.change.org/p/please-support-the-eric-garner-law
https://www.change.org/p/department-of-justice-investigate-the-killing-of-tamir-rice
Educate yourself: Read articles and books about racism and how it was originated and augmented to what is it today, as well as how a few million people have been affected by it.
It starts in your own house: Speak to your parents and relatives about how real this issue is. Educate them about how backward thinking is killing innocent people, and hopefully change their opinion on it.
Use your voice: Voice your opinions. Educate the people around you. You have a lot more in your control and a lot more influence than you think.
Black lives don’t just matter
Black lives are precious
Black lives are beautiful
Black lives are important
