Ferguson and #BlackLivesMatter...a year later
It saddens me to say this, but much hasn't change. The number of hashtags for thos fallen at the hands of police officers has risen, #BlackLivesMatter is still being, mocked and ridiculed by progressives, liberals, conservatives, Blacks and Whites. A state of emergency was declared near St. Louis, MO and over 60 people have been arrested for protesting on I-70.
What does make me excited, is that people still care. There isn't a complacency. There are fighters out there! People who still try to explain the significance of #BlackLivesMatter. It's not slowing down, it may be plateauing for the moment, but a great change will come if we all, regardless of race, gender, creed and sexual identity and orientation pull together. We could be each other's greatest allies.
I feel that Arthur Chu draws a great comparison here. Why is it that we are okay with Breast Cancer awareness and HIV/AIDS awareness, but so uncomfortable with inequality awareness? I appreciate the fact that another person of color, an Asian American man, took it upon himself to educate people about something deemed controversial. When did the lives of a minority group become a controversial thing to worry about?
If this didn't explain the reason and meaning behind #BlackLives matter, maybe this will:
This is how silly and selfish people look when they say #AllLivesMatter. Of course all lives matter, but when one group is losing their lives at a higher rate, there should a call for action. Not everyone agrees on what action should be taken, though. A couple of #BlackLivesMatter activists shut down a Bernie Sanders Rally. The outcry and rage over this has been considerable. I could feel people who didn't understand their actions rush to their twitter and tell #BlackLivesMatter supporters that, "Don't you guys know he's one of the good guys?" "That's one of the the helpful White people!" Protests, as I've said, are not meant to be convenient. Yes, Bernie Sanders was a Civil Right activist in 1960s. He also hired a pro-#BlackLivesMatter Black woman. Does this mean he automatically gets a pass? I don't really think so.
Please help the freedom fighters. To demand the release of Deray McKesson, Johnetta Elzie, Cornell West and other peaceful activists/protesters who were just arrested in Ferguson, Missouri.
Please call St. Louis County Jail
314-615-5245U.S.
Attorney's Office: 314-539-2200(H/T Subini Annamma)
