By Daidrian Lamar H.
The world is on fire with a burning desire for the change of social and racial injustice. The public murder of George Floyd has become a symbol to get the attention of everyone.
Police brutality has always been an issue in the black community and now with new technology and social media it’s accessible for everyone to see. Posting videos on Instagram and going live on Facebook provides evidence to call for the conviction of these officers that mercilessly kill African-Americans, even when they are restrained, cooperating and pose no threat. Charging the officers involved in these crimes is not enough. There has to be a criminal justice reformation.
The African-American community is no longer the only one demanding human rights and pushing the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Celebrities, sports organizations and major businesses have all spoken out about the racial injustice and police brutality African-Americans have endured over the years and they agree that it is time for major change.
Multiple celebrities put themselves on the front lines of the protesting that took place in their cities: Keke Palmer, J. Cole and Cole Sprouse just to name a few. Then, the power couple Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and Shawn Carter who pulled their weight behind the scenes and wrote letters on behalf of the deceased demanding appropriate justice for the crimes of the police officers.
Moreover, artists Kanye West and Barbra Streisand tended to the needs of George Floyd’s daughter, Gianna, by setting her up a $2 million-dollar college fund and buying her shares in Disney’s stock. Additionally, several donations have been made in the millions to different parts of the cause.
Politicians, government officials and universities are in accord with the public that a reformation is necessary. On the holiday Juneteenth, Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, called for the removal of the portraits of four previous Speakers who served in the Confederacy that were displayed in the U.S. Capitol. Pelosi tweeted, “We have a moral duty to oppose injustice wherever it appears––there is no room in these halls for honoring men who embody racism & hatred.”
Donations and involvement of people in higher positions of power did not come easy though. The people executed their American right and took to the streets to protest and demand justice for those who met their untimely deaths at the hands of police brutality.
The protesting swept across the nation like flames moving in the wind. It grew from one city to the entire nation, and eventually the entire world. The United Kingdom, France, and New Zealand joined the movement and made it a global effort demanding change for social and racial injustice.
The protesting has been met with backlash simply because it many people misunderstood. Many people began labeling the protests as “violent” and focusing on the aspect of rioting and looting. Although buildings were set on fire and things were stolen, the affected companies spoke out and stated that they were in fact on the same side of the protesters. The insurance covers most of the damages and those things can be replaced, a life cannot.
People forget that protesting is a part of American history. It has always been a way that the American people were able to express themselves, demand change, and get everyone’s attention. This occurrence is no different.
In 1773, the Boston Tea Party took place. Early Americans were upset with the British Parliament tax on tea, so they decided to dump chests of tea into the Boston Harbor. There have been multiple protests in America’s history.
The Civil Rights Movement is being heavily compared to the current state of protests now. The opposers of the protesting keep mentioning how Martin Luther King Jr. handled the protesting during that time and how he did it peacefully. But even then MLK Jr. was met with water hoses, dogs, racial slurs, and even thrown into jail.
The younger generation has become the face of the movement. With a combination of the internet and social media, they can have access to more information and share it. The protesters are being met with the police and national guard who are being deployed by the government officials in the states to “maintain the peacefulness.”
In comparison to the dangers protesters were met with during the Civil Rights Movement, today people have endured the pain and injuries of rubber bullets, pepper spray and teargas. Being inactive is no longer an option and some have taken action into their own hands by leading protests, organizing movements in their community, and putting themselves in the line of danger no matter the costs.
Police brutality and social and racial injustice are no longer tolerable. It should not have been in the first place. It is a disguise that racist Americans have used to continue to make the black community feel lesser than their counterparts.
With everyone, every race being involved in this movement for the equality and recognition of people of color, the world has ignited the necessary fire that the government needed to finally establish laws and policies that will bring change. The world must come together to extinguish this fire by exterminating any form of racism, injustice and inequality that continues to exist and hold people of color back from being truly equal to their counterparts and reach their peak potential.