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Understanding the Roots of BLM and Racial Injustice
The big question is when will BLM be? For BLM to matter, some changes must be made. Segregation and racism against people of color in the United States have always been a subject of discussion for decades, perhaps centuries, where different figures have called on the people to fight and seek equality.
This is the genesis of the question as to whether BLM. However, different people have had different opinions concerning the issue, and this has compelled different groups to address the issue through various means, such as debates and protests. This is the genesis of the question as to whether black lives matter. However, different people have had different opinions concerning the issue, and this has compelled different groups to address the issue through various means, such as debates and protests. When Black people started seeking justice and fair treatment, they were not against the police but against the brutality and the excessive violence that the police used against black people and singled them out based on their race.
The Stark Disparity in Police Violence
Other than the unfair treatment that the black people received, they were also seeking a balance of power. According to observers, there are more than twice as many unarmed Black people killed by the police compared to White people. Black people are more likely to be deprived of their rights by law enforcement compared to white people, and this, according to studies, is not by accident but by design. This begs the question, do the lives of black people matter as much as those of any other? After the killings of Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, Eric Garner, Kimani Gray, and many others who were black, people started to consider the vulnerability of black people in public spaces and doubted the legitimacy of the police force used.
The Catalysts for Outrage: Michael Brown and Beyond
The black people feared for their lives and no longer felt safe walking in the street. In November 2012, the incident of an unarmed couple who were shot dead also caught the attention of many people and compelled the black community to protest in a bid to stand up for their basic right to life. The killings of Michael Brown in 2014 made African Americans realize that they need to wake up and fight against police brutality and the unjust treatment that they receive. Michael Brown, also a victim of police brutality whose family did not receive justice, was just an innocent man walking in the streets of Ferguson at the time. The jury held that there was not enough evidence to incriminate the police officer who shot Michael Brown.
Challenging Stereotypes and White Supremacy
However, there was a feeling in the black community that the jury was favoring the police and treated Brown’s case as if black lives did not matter. There was also a feeling that Black people are often viewed as a threat to society, and unfortunately, the mindset is also affecting the upcoming generation. Although efforts have been put to create awareness, the consensus is that not enough is being done to end racism. After the continued killing of black people, the black people decided to form the Black Lives Matter movement to encourage people to stand up and unite against racial discrimination against black people and to fight against the expectation of normality defined by white supremacy, according to Anthony Bradley.
Addressing Misconceptions: BLM’s Broader Vision
Black lives matter because they are also people. It is not enough to say that black lives matter without giving reasons as to why it matters. Some of the White people, for instance, have depersonalized themselves from blacks because they feel that they look like criminals, and because they do not show affection towards each other, they should not be treated with dignity. Black lives matter because people are not independent, self-reliant, individualistic creatures who do not need others for their flourishing (Anthony Bradley). Thus it is necessary that society and the police force treat black people with the dignity they deserve. Conversely, when people talk about black people’s lives, it does not mean that the lives of other people do not matter.
More concerns are made about black people simply because they are the ones who are oppressed most by the police. Moreover, black people should not take advantage of the situation and break the law. If laws are broken, they should face the law but in a just manner. Bad policing has greatly influenced how black people are being treated. Due to the brutality and violence that the police use, black people have become more resistant to the law in case they are found on the wrong side of the law.
The supremacy system should train the police on how to treat people, whether they are criminals or not. Black lives matter protests should not be a way of promoting violence against the police but away from creating awareness of what black people face and the changes that the supreme system needs to make in addressing various issues when dealing with people and not only blacks alone. Some people argue that the action of the few do not present or should not be used to judge the action of the majority. However, if one police commit a crime and he or she is not dealt with accordingly, then the same action may be repeated by others as they may think that they would also walk escort free if they commit the same mistake. This is the more reason why people want the same law to be incorporated into the police and any other person, including the black if they do not abide by the law.
Black Lives Matter in Historical Context
As I have mentioned earlier on, black lives matter is simply a reminder to people that for most of American history, black lives have been valued less than white ones, but it does not mean that the lives of the white do not matter. Even after the reign of slavery, black people have continued to remain poorer, discriminated and more likely to be killed by the police. This is the more reason why black people would wish to be treated equally as compared to white people since they are living in a different century. Black people feel that racism has been used to define a system of structuring opportunity and assigning value based on race which disadvantages some individuals and communities while benefitting others. The black lives matter movement has tried to follow in a tradition of Black struggle in the United States.
It has tried to shed light way beyond the brutal killings that black people currently face and shows how the struggle for equal rights began a long time ago. For instance, black people were enslaved by whites in the early 1700s and 1800s, where they were forced to work in harsh conditions without pay. The families were also broken down and sold, and during all this, they were not allowed to question the white people. Additionally, the blacks were separated from the whites by the segregation law. Unfortunately, up to date, some of these laws are still practiced in some of our institutions.
The segregation law prevented African Americans from buying homes in the white neighborhood, barred them from certain jobs, and had separate substandard schools. This affected the learning of the black children because some of them felt like lesser human beings, and this also affected their mental growth. Although some laws were changed, some of the white people were already brainwashed and still felt that they were superior compared to black people. God is the Creator of the human family and looks upon every man, woman, and child as equal in dignity and worth (McLeroy); thus, the unnecessary killing of black people should be upon those in authority to address the issue and come together with another activist to prevent the killing of black people. Furthermore, they must recognize and reshape the racial misconduct issues that may arise to achieve racial justice work.
Racism is a public health concern since it is a social condition that affects a person’s health and causes social illnesses. Either psychologically or physically. The deaths of Eric Garner and Michael Brown are a reminder to health professionals to critically evaluate their work, values, and impact on people. However, efforts to fight racism should not be left in the hand of health professionals alone. It is upon all of us to confront, analyze, and dismantle racism.
The activists that are in support of Black lives matter echo the principles of an open society that is based on social justice that recognizes the equal value of all lives. They argue that researchers and practitioners should actively interact with black people to gain an understanding of how the injustices that they face affecting their lives. The practitioners and researchers do not necessarily have to be black. This, in the long run, would show that people, especially the whites are ready to also fight for social equality as it was during the civil rights movement. Black lives matter because it steals people’s dignity.
References:
- “Black Lives Matter”. Black Lives Matter. https://blacklivesmatter.com/
- Bradley, A. L. (2016). “Black Lives Matter: A Kingdom Dream”. In “Aliens in the Promised Land: Why Minority Leadership Is Overlooked in White Christian Churches and Institutions” (pp. 111-122). P&R Publishing.
- McLeroy, K. R. (2015). “God Loves Black Lives Matter”. Retrieved from https://nacministers.org/god-loves-black-lives-matter/
- “Racism as a Public Health Crisis”. (2020). American Public Health Association. https://www.apha.org/topics-and-issues/health-equity/racism-and-health/racism-declaration
- Wise, T. (2016). “Black Lives Matter: A Commentary on Racism and Public Health”. American Journal of Public Health, 106(10), e12-e13. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2016.303389
- Alexander, M. (2010). “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness”. The New Press.
- Baldwin, J. (1963). “The Fire Next Time”. Dial Press.
- Delgado, R., & Stefancic, J. (2012). “Critical Race Theory: An Introduction”. New York University Press.
- Luker, R. (1984). “Abortion and the Politics of Motherhood”. University of California Press.
- Rothstein, R. (2017). “The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America”. Liveright Publishing.
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