Black Lives Matter Interview
At the Black Matters Conference, I had the opportunity to see an interview with Lezley McSppaden, the mother of Michael Brown who was a victim of police brutality. During the time period of the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Power movement police brutality was always an issue. Today we see that this issue is most cases has not yet been solved. Although in the earlier years it consisted of a lot more violence. For example, police officers helping out white rioters by supplying weapons, using violent acts to disperse crowds, and also ignore the different crimes of whites on people of color. The types of police brutality or being treated with inequality led to rebellions against authority. The acts of rebellions can be seen in the Black Panthers.
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The Black Lives Matter movement was influenced by the death of Michael Brown. Being able to hear from his mother was a wonderful experience. We discussed in class the riots in Ferguson in 1967 and how that can be compared to the most recent riot after the death of Michael Brown. There were certain buildings being burnt down, there was a message meaning to be sent. The opportunity I had to listen to Lezley McSpadden helped me understand why this is a social movement and not just a riot. The death of Michael Brown was a spark in the Black Lives Matter movement and can be compared to the death of Emmett Till and the spark of the Civil Rights movement. Mamie Till can be compared to Lezley McSpadden. Although there is a big difference in time period, both mothers decided to speak openly about their son’s deaths and create awareness. However, in today’s “post racial” society McSpadden received feelings of hatred walking into a store from a white woman, it was hard for her to be herself with the media attacking her, and her son. In the time period of Emmett Till’s death of 1955 it was okay for Mamie Till to express her anger, because of the fact that is was white supremacy that was the reason for her son’s death. This is a change that not many first identify, but is a change that is alarming. The officer who killed Michael Brown is believed to have only killed him based on the fact that he was
The Black Lives Matter movement was influenced by the death of Michael Brown. Being able to hear from his mother was a wonderful experience. We discussed in class the riots in Ferguson in 1967 and how that can be compared to the most recent riot after the death of Michael Brown. There were certain buildings being burnt down, there was a message meaning to be sent. The opportunity I had to listen to Lezley McSpadden helped me understand why this is a social movement and not just a riot. The death of Michael Brown was a spark in the Black Lives Matter movement and can be compared to the death of Emmett Till and the spark of the Civil Rights movement. Mamie Till can be compared to Lezley McSpadden. Although there is a big difference in time period, both mothers decided to speak openly about their son’s deaths and create awareness. However, in today’s “post racial” society McSpadden received feelings of hatred walking into a store from a white woman, it was hard for her to be herself with the media attacking her, and her son. In the time period of Emmett Till’s death of 1955 it was okay for Mamie Till to express her anger, because of the fact that is was white supremacy that was the reason for her son’s death. This is a change that not many first identify, but is a change that is alarming. The officer who killed Michael Brown is believed to have only killed him based on the fact that he was