The Blm's Role In The Civil Rights Movement
Racism is an important ethical issue facing the United States. Although the 1960s Civil Rights movement denormalized racist behavior and discrimination against African-Americans and other minorities, racism never truly disappeared. Thus, the Black Lives Matter movement surged as a response to the “extrajudicial killings of Black people by police and vigilantes” and serves “to re(build) the Black liberation movement.” Despite BLM’s good intentions to heal race relations in the country, the movement is met with criticism and questioned for its legitimacy.
The movement started after George Zimmerman’s acquittal for the death of Trayvon Martin in July 13, 2013, in the form of the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter on social media. However, the movement …show more content…
For instance, the Baltimore riots in 2015, which were meant to protest against the unfair death of Freddie Gray, resulted in twenty police officers injured, 250 people arrested, 350 businesses damaged, $20 million in damage, and a declaration of state of emergency. The BLM movement has also been suspected of being anti-police. At the Minnesota State Fair, marchers waving a BLM banner were recorded in a video chanting, “Pigs in a blanket, fry 'em like bacon”, referring to the police. Furthermore, at the end of a BLM protest in Dallas on July 7, 2016, Micah Johnson opened fire in an ambush, killing five police officers and injuring seven. While the shooter was unaffiliated with BLM, it is possible that the BLM movement served as an outlet for Johnson to murder those police …show more content…
Racism is an issue that cannot be absolved completely, but it can be diminished. As a citizen, it is my responsibility to combat racist behavior and discrimination and stop it from spreading. In my community, I can step in when I see racism occurring, volunteer at community organizations to help people of color, support voter registration where minorities live to encourage political participation, and write to my local and state government officials about stopping racist practices. Lastly, I can be involved at the national level by advocating for Affirmative Action practices in education and employment to ensure equal opportunities, supporting national legislation that would criminalize racist police practices (racial profiling, stop and frisk) and institute ways to monitor police behavior, and voting for candidates of color to achieve accurate
The movement started after George Zimmerman’s acquittal for the death of Trayvon Martin in July 13, 2013, in the form of the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter on social media. However, the movement …show more content…
For instance, the Baltimore riots in 2015, which were meant to protest against the unfair death of Freddie Gray, resulted in twenty police officers injured, 250 people arrested, 350 businesses damaged, $20 million in damage, and a declaration of state of emergency. The BLM movement has also been suspected of being anti-police. At the Minnesota State Fair, marchers waving a BLM banner were recorded in a video chanting, “Pigs in a blanket, fry 'em like bacon”, referring to the police. Furthermore, at the end of a BLM protest in Dallas on July 7, 2016, Micah Johnson opened fire in an ambush, killing five police officers and injuring seven. While the shooter was unaffiliated with BLM, it is possible that the BLM movement served as an outlet for Johnson to murder those police …show more content…
Racism is an issue that cannot be absolved completely, but it can be diminished. As a citizen, it is my responsibility to combat racist behavior and discrimination and stop it from spreading. In my community, I can step in when I see racism occurring, volunteer at community organizations to help people of color, support voter registration where minorities live to encourage political participation, and write to my local and state government officials about stopping racist practices. Lastly, I can be involved at the national level by advocating for Affirmative Action practices in education and employment to ensure equal opportunities, supporting national legislation that would criminalize racist police practices (racial profiling, stop and frisk) and institute ways to monitor police behavior, and voting for candidates of color to achieve accurate