Many classroom discussions that have revolved around BLM tended to center around reformism and “acceptable” forms of protest that should be used to facilitate change. The emphasis on respectability politics and voting also dominate these conversations. These moderate methods are presented using language that tries to paint the methods as being radical and revolutionary. As Alicia Garza explains thoroughly, the dehumanization and malicious mistreatment of Black people is rooted in various methods of state violence. State sanctioned violence tends to be either painted in a manner that suggests that it can be remedied through reformism, or it’s ignored on a whole. The emphasis on reformism that many conversations have has normalized the implication
