Black Lives Matter (BLM). A statement and a movement that wants systemic change for our black brothers and sisters. A movement that will not let police brutality go unnoticed. A movement that calls out racial injustice and profiling.
BLM means a lot to me. I want you to understand where I am coming from when I say I am honestly scared of police officers. I can obey the law, not resist, listen to their demands and still be killed. Police officers are supposed to protect and serve their community. They wear that badge for a reason, which does not include killing another person, no matter what race they are.
I have faced racism throughout my life. From elementary to high school it’s something I can’t escape. In elementary school my hair was pulled to see whether or not I was tender headed.
Another time when I was in the eighth grade, we had a substitute teacher who needed help with the seating chart. He had me do it because another student did it wrong. When I finished, the boy came up to me and called me the “n word” with the hard r. I just sat there in shock because I was uncomfortable. A friend and I went up to the office to explain what happened. The assistant principal seemed understanding about the situation and said she would talk to him about it. Nothing ever became of the situation. He now attends FHS, and I see him everyday.
More recently, right before the election, I had a debate on Instagram Live with a student at Kettle Run High School. We debated BLM v. All Lives Matter, trans rights, women’s rights, Trump’s policies v. Biden’s policies, abortion v. pro choice and whether Blue Lives Matter was a “thing.” There were some students that were spamming in the chat the “n word” with the hard r.
Although these situations may not seem like much, they are very disconcerting and gaining attention throughout the world. I was a bit relived with the announcement of Derek Chauvin charge of guilty on all three counts for the murder of George Floyd. I had been watching the case very closely and, personally, I felt he was guilty from the start. Whether Floyd had fentanyl in his system or he had health issues, he would’ve never lived through a knee being dug into his neck for almost nine minutes.
We are on the road to change and closure. Around the United States police departments’ funding has been cut, no knock warrants are banned, choke holds are banned and policing has been better taught. However, it will make time to truly reach justice.