I experienced racism at a very young age, 6 years old to be exact. Before I moved to the diverse Miami area, I lived in a small town called North Port. My brother, sister and I were the only black kids in Glenallen elementary school. 99.99% of the white people that I encountered were nice and non-Judgmental; However, I met this one girl at the playground that I will never forget. I didn’t know her name, but we may as well call her .01%. I was playing with my best friend Emily when the girl ran over to her and said “hey, want to go play on the swings?” Emily said “ok” then turned to me and said “let’s go”. The little girl glanced at me then turned back to Emily and said “my mommy said I can’t play with black people.” I was sad but I didn’t say
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Just as ‘closed mouths don 't get fed’, silent mouths are never heard. A relatively new movement has emerged called ‘Black Lives Matter’. It was started by three women after an officer shot and killed a young black man named Michael Brown, who even reportedly had his hands up in a position of surrender. The young generation led the way protesting in the streets and through social media. There was a time where it seemed as though something was happening every week. The protests were taking over not only streets but even highways, demanding to be seen and heard. The media was all over it documenting every moment of the protest. The hashtag #BlackLivesMatter trended as communities united to bring awareness to the cause (Luibrand). I remember even joining in making a statement by blacking out my profile picture on Instagram, it was a form of solidarity to show support for the cause. We are speaking up and demanding change, but sometimes I wonder if we really have the …show more content…
What has happened since this ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement began? Well for starters, the Department of Justice revised a guide on the use of profiling by law enforcement. There had always been a record of justified shootings by police officers but not the unjustified. Now, a record is being kept so these issues can be brought to light. Also, in late July an associated Press analysis showed that “24 states have passed at least 40 new measures after Ferguson” (Luibrand). Another big accomplishment was the push for body cameras. On the other hand, in cases like that of Eric Garner and Michael Brown, the killers were able to walk away without any punishment. It is 2016, the Black Lives Matter movement has been in effect for over a year and we are still talking about racial injustices. So is this movement really making the necessary changes needed to eliminate the
Just as ‘closed mouths don 't get fed’, silent mouths are never heard. A relatively new movement has emerged called ‘Black Lives Matter’. It was started by three women after an officer shot and killed a young black man named Michael Brown, who even reportedly had his hands up in a position of surrender. The young generation led the way protesting in the streets and through social media. There was a time where it seemed as though something was happening every week. The protests were taking over not only streets but even highways, demanding to be seen and heard. The media was all over it documenting every moment of the protest. The hashtag #BlackLivesMatter trended as communities united to bring awareness to the cause (Luibrand). I remember even joining in making a statement by blacking out my profile picture on Instagram, it was a form of solidarity to show support for the cause. We are speaking up and demanding change, but sometimes I wonder if we really have the …show more content…
What has happened since this ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement began? Well for starters, the Department of Justice revised a guide on the use of profiling by law enforcement. There had always been a record of justified shootings by police officers but not the unjustified. Now, a record is being kept so these issues can be brought to light. Also, in late July an associated Press analysis showed that “24 states have passed at least 40 new measures after Ferguson” (Luibrand). Another big accomplishment was the push for body cameras. On the other hand, in cases like that of Eric Garner and Michael Brown, the killers were able to walk away without any punishment. It is 2016, the Black Lives Matter movement has been in effect for over a year and we are still talking about racial injustices. So is this movement really making the necessary changes needed to eliminate the