It is important to know how you can physically make a change in this country regarding the treatment of people of color. As former President Barack Obama stated "... the elected officials who matter most in reforming police departments and the criminal justice system work at the state and local levels. It's mayors and county executives that appoint most police chiefs and negotiate collective bargaining agreements with police unions. It's district attorneys and state attorneys that decide whether or not to investigate and ultimately charge those involved with police misconduct."
This means it is extremely important to be involved politically and VOTE. All of those positions are elected by the people, so the people can make a change by putting people in office that will honor people of color, and work to make beneficial changes. That being said, it is also important to be politically active at the federal level and elect a president, congress, and justice department that will work to combat the injustice in our society. Register to vote: www.usa.gov/register-to-vote#item-212645 Pledge to vote for Black Lives Matter: blacklivesmatter.com/pledge-to-vote/
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Speak up for those oppressed.
Speak up to those outwardly racial profiling, making racists jokes, using racist slang, stereotyping someone based off of race, or showing any form of racism or any type of prejudice against black people. Fight actively, not passively. Sign petitions, show up to rallies, call state legislators, donate, and raise awareness any platform you can. Continue to watch and check yourself regularly; do not give in to a passive attitude. Choosing to be passive and apolitical in times of political or moral turmoil is a political act, rooted in privilege, and supports the oppressor not the oppressed. Recognize and validate truth. Call racism by its name, do not shy away from the word. Believe and validate the stories of racial prejudice, discrimination and hate crime victims. Recognize white privilege and white supremacy. Be a friend, and educate yourself. Listen to your black friends, be a friend to them and support them. Be sensitive to traumatic hate crimes. Educate yourself on white privilege and how you can use it for good. Have empathy for people's stories and willing to learn more. For more information on how to educate yourself and get involved, go to our "TAKE ACTION" page. To understand white privilege one must first understand that white privilege does not in anyway mean that a white person's life has not been hard. Instead it means that a white person's life has not been made any harder solely due to the color of their skin. For example, white people can usually assume that the police are there to protect them rather than harm them, nothing a white person does is questioned or discredited because of the color of their skin. Although one may not have engaged or supported in any acts of racism they have benefited due to a system that unfairly oppresses people of color, and supports white Americans. However, there are ways that people with white privilege can use their advantage to support people of color in America. Although white people will never understand what it is like to be black in America, they can stand with people of color and let themselves be educated on injustice and what can be done to combat it. White people can LISTEN to people of color and ask what they can do to help. They can use their voice to educate other people and speak up against acts of injustice. They can unlearn racist stereotypes and stop appropriation. Instead of being not racist, white people can be anti-racist and take action to make a change in America. IF YOU WANT TO REFLECT ON YOUR WHITE PRIVILEGE, ASK YOURSELF: In what ways does my proximity to whiteness afford me privileges that aren't extended to Black and Brown people? In what ways have I been conditioned to believe in superiority of whiteness? In what ways have I engaged in rhetoric that promotes othering or stereotyping of Black people? What can I do to better educate myself on the historical context of race in the country and community I exist in? For more information on ways to engage and actively help, check the "TAKE ACTION" tab of this website. Saying "All Lives Matter" is not helpful, it is problematic and wrong for many reasons. The creation of "All Lives Matter" in response to "Black Lives Matter" is a gut reaction for white people, due to privilege. Because this movement does not put white people at the center of the conversation, it feels as though white people are getting less, feel less important, or feel invalidated. However, saying "Black Lives Matter" was never a confrontation, and never meant to say that black lives matter MORE than other lives. Even if "All Lives Matter" was well intentioned, it is problematic because there is no need to say "All Lives Matter" in a system in which black lives are the ones being killed, discriminated against, and oppressed based off of their race. To explain in simple terms, if a few kids were playing outside and one of them fell and scraped their knee, would you run out and give a bandaid to all of the kids playing outside before giving the bandaid to the bleeding child? No. You would give the attention and care to the kid that needs it most and is struggling. This would not mean one of the kids mattered more than the other, it would mean one needed aid urgently and the others did not. The purpose of "Black Lives Matter" is to draw attention and change to the current system in America which undervalues black people's lives.
George Floyd, a 46-year-old unarmed black man, was pinned down and killed by a Minneapolis Police Officer on May 25th, 2020. Floyd was accused of buying groceries with a counterfeit $20 bill, a non-violent offense. For four minutes, Floyd was heard on video telling police at least a dozen times that he can’t breathe and asking the police to take his knee off his neck. Bystanders, including the grocery clerk who initially called 911, plead with the officers to let Floyd get up. "Please, I can't breathe" he said, but the police continued until he became unconscious and died. Amongst his last words were "Please don't kill me".
Going jogging. #AhmaudArbery
Relaxing in the comfort of their own home. #BothemJean and #AtatianaJefferson and #BreonnaTaylor Asking for help after a car crash. #JonathonFerrell and #RenishaMcBride Having a self phone #StephonClark Leaving a party to get to safety #JordanEdwards Playing loud music #JordanDavis Selling CD's #AltonSterling Sleeping #AiyanaJones Walking from the corner store #MikeBrown Playing cops and robbers #TamirRice Going to church #Charleston9 Walking home with skittles #TrayvonMartin Holding a hair brush while leaving his bachelor party #SeanBell Partying on New Years #OscarGrant Getting a normal traffic ticket #SandraBland Lawfully carrying a weapon #PhilandoCastile Breaking down with car problems on the road #CoreyJones Shopping at Walmart #JohnCrawford Having a disabled car #KeithScott Walking with his grandfather at 10 years old #CliffordGlover Decorating for a party #ClaudeReese Asking a cop a question #RandyEvans Cashing out a check #YvonneSmallwood Taking out a wallet #AmadouDiallo Running #WalterScott Selling Cigarettes #EricGarner BLACK LIVES MATTER Michael Brown was 18 years old when he was shot and killed on August 9, 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri. He was unarmed, walking with a friend in the street when a cop approached them and asked them to walk on the side walk. Witnesses say Michael Brown had his hands in the air to indicate he was unarmed when Darren Wilson, a 28-year-old white cop shot him 12 times. In November of 2014, a grand jury decided not to indict Wilson. The Justice Department found that the police in the area had excessively stopped and ticketed their black residents, viewing their black constituents "less as constituents to be protected than as potential offenders and sources of revenue."
Eric Garner, a father of 6, was killed on July 17, 2014 in New York. Police tried to arrest him for allegedly selling cigarettes. He raised both hands in the air and asked them not to shoot him. Seconds later, he was put in a choke hold, even though NYP prohibits the use of chokeholds. Eric Garner repeatedly stated "I can't breathe! I can't breathe!" due to his asthma and the choke hold, yet the officers continued to restrain him on the ground and did not budge. Eric Garner died and police claimed he suffered a heart attack, but the death was ruled a homicide. The jury failed to indict the officer that killed him. New York City later settled with Garner's family, but never admitted liability.
Trayvon Martin was an unarmed 17 year old killed by George Zimmerman on February 26, 2012. Trayvon left his house to purchase skittles and iced tea. His murderer, Zimmerman, who was on neighborhood watch, called the police at 7:11 to report a "suspicious guy". Zimmerman had previously reported individuals who seemed "suspicious" without reason. All were black. Zimmerman began to follow the Trayvon. Footage of Trayvon at 7-11 shows no criminal or aggressive behavior. When Trayvon noticed he was being followed, he began to run. The confrontation ended with Zimmerman shooting this unarmed black teen in the chest, killing him less than 100 yards from the home he was staying in. Zimmerman pleaded not guilty and claimed self defense. On July 13, 2013 Zimmerman was found not guilty. An image of Martin wearing a hoodie became iconic. Professional athletes wore hoodies, and protestors repeated the phrase: "I am Trayvon Martin" to express their outrage. Martin's death inspired President Barack Obama to deliver a heartfelt message to Martin's parents, saying, "If I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon." Trayvon's death and the lack of justice sparked the Black Lives Matter Movement.
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