July 12, 2016

#BlackLivesMatter


    “Once upon a time they was two girls," I say. "One girl had black skin, one girl had white. "Mae Mobley look up at me. She listening. "Little colored girl say to little white girl, 'How come your skin be so pale?' White girl say, 'I don't know. How come your skin be so black? What you think that mean?' "But neither one a them little girls knew. So little white girl say, 'Well, let's see. You got hair, I got hair.' "I gives Mae Mobley a little tousle on her head. "Little colored girl say 'I got a nose, you got a nose.' "I gives her little snout a tweak. She got to reach up and do the same to me. "Little white girl say, 'I got toes, you got toes.' And I do the little thing with her toes, but she can't get to mine cause I got my white work shoes on. "'So we's the same. Just a different color', say that little colored girl. The little white girl she agreed and they was friends.” (Kathyrn Stockett) 

          Many people have the idea that Black Lives Matters is just an excuse for young people to act out against society and bash those in leadership. Many Americans do not understand how Black Lives Matters has given people a voice that either they did not know they had, or they did not know they needed. People, especially the older generation, see speaking out against the law or authority as bad behavior, disrespectful, and rebellious. They do not understand how Black Lives Matters can be a proper outlet for social justice. They do not understand why Black Lives Matters, matters. The Black Lives Matter movement is an accurate call for social justice in American society because it promotes awareness, equality, and action. 

          Many people do not understand the importance of Black Lives Matters and how they help or benefit society. Opal Tometi, co-founder of Black Lives Matter, spoke out to clarify the goal of the organizations and said “We founded #BlackLivesMatters in 2013, and we wanted to create a political space within and amongst our communities for activism that could stand firmly on the shoulders of movements that have come before us, such as the civil rights movement, while innovations on its strategies, practices, and approaches to finally centralize the leadership of those existing at the margins of our economy and our society.” Black Lives Matter is the cry of new movements against racist police violence, is brilliant in its simplicity. (Khury Peterson-Smith) 

      Black Lives Matter helps bring awareness by using its social media platforms to inform people about the mistreatment of people.  They show people that bad things are not to be brushed under the rug. It is important that people know what is going on. Police brutality is not a topic that should be ignored. People need to know what is happening in their world. Americans have gotten into this place of comfort, where they really do not care what is happening as long as it does not effect how they live their life. Unfortunately, the aftermath of racism inequality affects everyone. From the child of the victim, to the wife of the police officer, or to the next generation of black children who will have to live in the fear of police brutality. Bringing awareness to the racial inequality and injustice in America is one of the most important and necessary characteristics of how the Black Lives Matters movement an accurate call for social injustice in American society.

                 ~ And that’s the way the cookie crumbles!~


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