Don't Let Them Define This Movement

Don’t Let Them Define This Movement

 

The picture of the White officer stepping on the Black Man’s neck with a look on the officer’s face that was composed and showed that he did not care at all about the Black man’s life is everlasting. This snapshot sent off a spark that started a new and rejuvenated movement for equality for Black people. Since that incident there have been protests, demonstrations, and new and deeper conversations about racism in the United States. White people are more open about this than ever before. It is a defining moment at this time.

During the protests and marches there has been some rioting and looting especially right after George Floyd was murdered. For the most part all the demonstrations were peaceful around the country. Not long after the Floyd murder Rayshard Brooks was killed by Atlanta police. Immediately following that murder protests took place and there was rioting and destruction of property. Since then there has not been any rioting or looting. The protests have been peaceful.

I notice that the segment of the population that resists the anti-racist movement, and wants to keep the status quo, and support White supremacy, describes the movement for equal rights for Blacks as: “mobs” gathering and causing destruction and violence. They use the term “mob mentality,” to demean the movement and reinforce the racist narrative that Blacks are inferior. This strategy has been used for decades. It is the “go to” for the White House.

We cannot let them define this movement in this way. We can’t let them continue with this false and horrendous narrative about equal rights. We have to keep the conversation going about how this country tortured, raped, and killed Black people from its inception. We need to face that and heal from this. We need to keep the conversation going about how long and how brutal Blacks have been treated in this country and it is still happening. Marching and protesting peacefully is not mob behavior. It is a demonstration of people coming together to make a statement that needs to be made. It is righting a long and overdue wrong. If we don’t, we will never find ourselves.