Black Lives Matter


What is Black Lives Matter?

Black lives matter (BLM) is a movement for all Black lives trying to get their liberation in the world. BLM creates protests against police killings of black people, racial inequality issues, and police brutality. Many African-American’s that are a part of the Black Lives Matter movement are against the people that are racist towards them just because of their skin color. In the article “People of all races support Black Lives Matter” Christina Xu an ethnographic researcher and writer stated that, "Black activists have led the movement for opportunities not just for themselves, but for us as well. Black people have been beaten, jailed, even killed fighting for many of the rights that Asian Americans enjoy today. We owe them so much in return. We are all fighting against the same unfair system that prefers we compete against each other" (DeBerry). This quote shows the reason why the Black Lives Matter movement has been created just because of what people are doing to not only black people but other races to. In the article “Black Lives Matter Big Step” Peniel Joseph stated, “The people in this movement focus on six themes which are ending the war on black people, reparations, divest-invest, justice in the economy, control in the community, and political power. They also focus on an end to money bail, mandatory fines, fees and other related charges that financially cripple poor black people.” This quote shows that in this movement the people are trying to strive to get their justice and power in the community.

Why is Racism such a big problem?

Today, racism is still a big problem in the United States. In the article Why is racism still a problem in America? CNN stated that, "The survey follows a series of high-profile deaths of unarmed black males in Staten Island; Baltimore; Ferguson, Missouri; and other locales, during encounters with law enforcement — episodes sometimes caught on cellphone videos. In recent weeks, black college students have held protests across the country to redress grievances that have included feelings of alienation, threats and their schools' past ties to segregation and even slavery” (Asbury Park Press). This quote shows the reason why racism is such a big problem in the United States today because they are sick of people discriminating them just because of the color of their skin. Asbury Park Press also added that, “The concerns also arise as the leading Republican candidate for president, Donald Trump, has made daily headlines for harsh comments about Mexican immigrants, blacks and other minorities — only to see his poll numbers rise.” This quote shows the reason why racism is a big problem because since Donald Trump is now our new president, he has been saying racist comments about people of different races, which is creating this conflict a bigger problem in the United States.

What causes the racial conflict between different races?

Some of the stuff that is creating conflict between races are people just being cruel towards people who aren’t like them. In the article What exactly is the conflict around race? Dr. Dorothy Cotton stated that, “Some argue that the conflict is around disparities and resources – that in this country, people of color are, overall, in poorer health, less wealthy, and less successful in our educational institutions than whites. Others believe that the conflict is cultural, which leads to segregation, bias, and prejudice. We all absorb stereotypes and distorted views about ourselves and each other that the news, advertising, popular culture, and even history books perpetuate. Still others have mentioned that the conflict is segregation itself” (Search for Common Ground). This quote shows all the types of ways racism is such a cause between different races because of how people view other people that are different from them. Dr. Dorothy also states that, “By dividing ourselves into races and creating hierarchies around that division, we go against who we know ourselves to be and avoid the type of deep connections with others that all human beings seek. As a result, we each struggle to understand the discord between the irrational construct that is race in the United States and our own feelings” (Search for Common Ground). This quote shows that people are making this conflict between races a bigger problem because they aren't taking time to get to know them. Instead they just go with whatever people say about these different races.

Will racism ever end?

As Racism is getting into TV shows and other media sources, it is creating the conflict more worse. In the article Will racism ever completely fade away? Kathryn Tien stated that ,“White people [are] in advertisements, TV, etc. and relying on tired, overused racial tropes for all other people of color. Or assuming that a person is a criminal just because they are black and wearing a hoodie. Or systematically targeting, searching, and arresting people of color for drug use when multiple studies have shown repeatedly that whites and blacks use drugs at the same rate.” This quote shows that racism will still be going on in the future because people are showing racism in advertisements, TV shows, and other ways just because of how they look. In the article Will Racism Ever End? Leah Donnella stated that, “We are not intentionally racist, but at times people let their sense of culture and pride take over too much. People are tied to their roots, and in the roots of America is racism. It was essentially how our country was founded. This places a chip on the shoulders of some people, and gives a false sense of seniority and priority over another race. I think that everyone should be given an equal opportunity, but this does not happen in the real world. People are way too judgmental and confrontational to end racism.” This quote shows that racism is going to be still a problem in the future just because of how people are raised and how older generations are teaching the younger generation that being racist is an okay thing to do.

Works Cited:

Jarvis DeBerry, | The Times-Picayune, Jarvis DeBerry. "People of All Races Support Black Lives Matter.", 07 Sept. 2016. 17 Feb. 2017.

Peniel Joseph. "Black Lives Matter's Big Step." CNN. Cable News Network, 3 Aug. 2016. 17 Feb. 2017.

Shoichet, Catherine E. "Racism Is a 'big Problem' to More Americans, Poll Finds." CNN. Cable News Network, 25 Nov. 2015. 17 Feb. 2017.

Search for Common Grounds. "What Exactly Is the Conflict Around Race?" Search for Common Ground. N.p., 21 Mar. 2014. 17 Feb. 2017.

Tien, Kathryn. "Will Racism Ever Completely Fade Away?" Quora. 18 Mar. 2015. 17 Feb. 2017.

Donnella, Leah. "Will Racism End When Old Bigots Die?" NPR. NPR, 14 Jan. 2017. 17 Feb. 2017.

Created By
Jordan Terry


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