Dear America
The realities of Black oppression in America
The Black Lives Matter protests held in Ann Arbor on May 30.
June 7, 2020
Dear America,
Today, black people are still seen as a threat. Black people are murdered on the grounds of illogical fear, ignorance and blatant systemic societal racism. Since 1619, African Americans have been treated as less than human. This needs to end now.
Black people have been peacefully protesting for over a decade. Yet, we still get killed for no reason —with families of the murdered left with no justice. 32 innocent black men have been murdered by officers. There is evidence to prove this: cell phone camera videos, testimony from witnesses, sometimes even body camera footage. However, the justice system doesn’t view it as murder. Instead, to them, it is simply an officer doing their job.
On June 17, 2015, Dylan Roof, a white male, went into a church killing nine innocent African Americans. Roof did not get shot by the police, instead, he was arrested peacefully. They even brought him Burger King. On the other hand, George Floyd, a black male, gets murdered on tape for simply being suspected of counterfeit and the district attorney says “there’s not enough evidence to press charges on the officer.”*
I believe they’re just going to give him a slap on the wrist. That’s called white privilege, right then and there. He will not have to face the consequences. And this happens all the time.
Is Minneapolis wrong for the riots? No, I don’t think there is anything wrong with the riots and protests. As, over the past years the Black community has gotten tired of the racism within our modern society. We are tired of the innocent black men getting shot by cops, that never get charged for murder.
In the words of Malcolm X, “Negro leaders have fought civil rights and they have begged the white man for civil rights and every time you beg the white man for freedom you’ll never be free that’s something you’ll have to do for yourself, until the negro lets the white man know that we are ready and willing to pay the price that is necessary for freedom we will always be walking around here as second class citizens or as they call it 20th-century slave, the price of freedom is death.”
Malcolm X’s quote is still relevant in 2020.
In other cities, as police brutality continues in America, the Black community shall let their voice be heard. We should not have to set fires or start riots to get our freedom. In 2020, the bar has been set that the justice system is corrupt and it consistently fails to protect the Black community. They fear us, simply due to the color of our skin. However, change starts now. Let our voices be heard.
* Derrick Chauvin, the officer that murdered George Floyd, has been charged with 2nd-degree murder
Learn more about Black Lives Matter here.
Nathan Penoyar • Jun 11, 2020 at 12:04 am
Is there problems in the Justice system? Yes.
Is there a problem with Police brutality? Yes.
Is there a problem with race relations in this country? 100 percent.
Do the above facts justify rioting? NO, they in no way justify rioting at all!
These riots primarily affect business owners, who are of all races. In Minneapolis and countless other cities across the country, countless business owners have lost their businesses, which are their LIVELIHOODS! These riots have caused unnecessary harm and destruction and provided cover for looters (of all races) to go in and steal as much stuff as they can get from various businesses. This is doing way more harm than good: many businesses will choose to move to an area perceived to be safer, which in turn causes the community being left to lose jobs, affecting more people’s livelihoods.
The rioting and looting merely makes a horrible situation worse. Listen to the words of Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms: who is right there on the front lines seeking solutions for her constuents: https://www.google.com/amp/s/nymag.com/intelligencer/amp/2020/05/watch-mayor-keisha-lance-bottoms-emotional-speech-on-atlanta-unrest-in-her-city.html
Violence does nothing except turn neutral people against your cause. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr acknowledged this fact, which is why he always remained peaceful and was able to bring about more positive change for the African American community than anyone since.
Have race relations improved since 1964? Yes. We had an African American President for eight years recently. If that isn’t a sign of racial progress in this country, then I don’t know what is.