The Black Lives Matter Movement: Discrimination And Oppression

In today’s society, it is obvious that we still face racism and oppression. Something that we talk about historically happening, such as the civil rights movement, is very alive today. History is in a way repeating itself. Some may counter this argument and say “all lives matter”, but they cannot ignore the disproportionate injustice against African Americans today. If we study the Black Lives Matter movement, we can see that discrimination and oppression still exists, but there are constructive ways to deal with it. The Black Lives Matter movement brought the attention that discrimination is still existing today. With people like President Obama speaking on this issue, it is easy to see that even the most powerful people have been a victim
No one should have to face oppression on a daily basis based on the color of their skin. No African American parent should have to sit down and talk with their child on how to act when an Officer approaches them. Philando Castile’s death was captured on video after being shot by a Minnesota police officer for a broken taillight. Castile’s death was streamed by his fiancé to let the world see the very real oppression that is going on around us facing African Americans with the Police. Castile’s mother says on her interview with CNN, “We always discussed. Comply. That is the key thing in order to try to survive being stopped by the police. Whatever they ask you to do, just do it. So what is the difference in complying and you get killed anyways?” “That was not an officer, that was a man. An officer is supposed to protect and serve, he is not an officer. That was a man who did that. That man was a destroyer and he came into our lives and took something from us.” Says Castile’s uncle. (source) This is one of the many cases that sparked national outrage and heartbreak. With the help of the Black Lives Matter movement, people grew more aware of the oppression that African Americans face with Police on the daily basis. Several studies have shown that Police are more likely to use force on African Americans than other races. The Center for Policing Equity created a study. “The
While It is accurate to say that every person on this earth is important and does matter, we cannot be blind to the racial discrimination that goes on today. To have a colorblind racial attitude is to have the “belief that racism is no longer a significant obstacle for racial minorities.” (source) There have been studies showing that effects left on African Americans who felt that others were blind to racial issues. “Students of color participating in focus group discussions described feeling that white students who purposefully avoided talking about race appeared to come across as less concerned and knowledgeable about the experiences of people of color and were thus less ideal peers or friends. These findings have been supported by experimental quantitative research that found that whites’ tendency to avoid race in interactions was related to less perceived non-verbal friendliness and was perceived by black participants as indicative of greater prejudice compared to those who acknowledged race” This is something that should alert us all to make a difference in humanity. The first step is accepting that racial discrimination is a real thing. For the people who have never faced racial discrimination and oppression, it easy to say that racism does not exist because they have never experienced it firsthand. African Americans are losing their lives and are despised everyday just