Black lives matter Essay Example

Black lives have been targeted and oppressed for hundreds of years due to the color of their skin. There is a division between the nation just based on the color of your skin. In what world does the color of someone's skin affect how they should live their life? Where they are treated as objects, not human beings. The Black Lives Matter Movement began in response to a shooting death of African-American teen Trayvon Martin in February 2012. George Zimmerman used the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter in July 2013. The movement is to fight against racism and anti-black violence, especially regarding police brutality. The movement has succeeded in many of its goals but it's nowhere near where equality stands. With the publicity that George Floyds death got, we know it's possible to have your voice heard and changes made. According to thehill.com, “The massive outcry on social media and in person at protests has sparked the beginning of massive change, from police department budget cuts to resignations and the removal of monuments and statues.” This means due to the power of thousands of people, the government changed their ways to provide peace but it’s not enough. The judicial system is unfair, the cops are not being punished for their crimes.

Views of racial inequality are key to why this movement has not been achieved completely. Regardless of your status, income, race, or ethnicity, black people are treated more poorly than white people in everyday life and/or dangerous situations. I have observed this even in my neighboring cities. I’ve noticed the white people are prioritized within each other especially in Camarillo and Thousand Oaks. In Camarillo, there are tons of racist full of hatred towards others that are not like them. The amount of friends I’ve had transfer from schools in Camarillo due to racism is insane. With this being said I feel like people in 2021 still don't consider different ethnicities, races, the color of their skin to be equal to white people. White people seem to prioritize themselves and see themselves as superior compared to other races. This feeling that they are automatically better just by the color of their skin is sick. There was even a terrorist group called the Klu Klux Klan, led by white people, which wanted to get rid of black people.  Not to mention, the amount of slavery that took place in the United States. It’s almost as if white people still want to be feared by others. They want that power that they used to have. 

Eric Garner, John Crawford III, Michael Brown, Ezell Ford, Dante Parker, Michelle Cusseaux, Laquan Mcdonald, George Mann, Tanisha Anderson, Akai Gurley, Tamir Rice, Remain Brison, Jerame Reid, Mathew Ajibde, Frank Smart, Natasha Mckenna, Tony Robsion, Anthony Hill, Mya Hall, Phillip White, Eric Harris, Walter Scott, William Chapman II, Alexia Christian, Brendon Glenn, Victor Manuel Larosa, Jonathan Sanders, Freddie Gray, Joseph Mann, Salvado Ellswood, Sandra Bland, George Floyd. These are only some of the UNARMED black people killed by police brutality. Police in the United States kill far more people then do people in other advanced industrial democracies. On average, about 1 in 1,000 black men can be expected to be killed by police. Now you might be thinking, “Everyone is affected by police brutality,” that is true but not nearly as much and UNARMED. No threat to the life of the police officer and yet they chose to take an innocent person's life. No one should have to live life not knowing if it’s your last day.

Some people may argue that all lives matter. What some individuals fail to understand is that not no lives matter until black lives matter. I've noticed online that white people felt unappreciated with the hashtag BLACKLIVESMATTER so they felt the need to make a ALLLIVESMATTER hashtag. It baffles me that they find a way to make everything about themselves. The people who oppress, playing themselves as victims. The oppressors cannot be oppressed. There is a theory that white people experience reverse racism but that indeed is not a thing. The only thing they can experience is racial prejudice but it is not the same thing that black people go through every single day of their lives. Some people also may argue that the protests were just an excuse to destroy communities. They overlook the fact that there are people who have been fighting for equality for hundreds of years. They have been silenced for too long. Everyone has a breaking point, now is the time to fight for what’s right. 

Overall, the Black Lives Matter movement’s lack of success has been due to several factors, such as the continuous cycle of police brutality, social issues, racism, discrimination, and lack of justice. For there to be change, the change has to start within the people itself. We as a society need to start by educating children when they’re young to love everyone. We need to view everyone as equals not based on the color of their skin, ehtinity, and/or race. When we make a change within ourselves, that’s when we can change as a society. Peace has not been served.  Peace will never be served if we continue like this.