Black Lives Matter (part 4)
Why we're not done yet.
It’s pretty incredible to see, but there has been a lot of progress made since the worldwide protests against racism and police brutality began a week or so ago.
The Minneapolis City Council announced they will work towards disbanding the Minneapolis Police Department (!!!!)
All officers involved in George Floyd’s murder have been charged
Several statues of racists have been taken down around the world (!)
Breonna’s Law, which will regulate “no-knock” warrants, was passed by the Louisville Metro Council
The New York State Assembly passed a NUMBER of bills including the Eric Garner Anti-Chokehold Act, a bill to require police officers to report when they discharge a firearm in areas where people could be hit, a penalty for the misuse of 911 (take THAT, Karen) and a bill that prohibits police and agencies from racial/ethnic profiling (20 states haven’t yet outlawed racial profiling and TBD on how that will be enforced…)
Both Republicans and Democrats in Congress are working towards demilitarizing local police departments
Editors that upheld racist practices at their publications are stepping down
But we are, of course, not done yet. We’re nowhere near close to being done. Breonna Taylor’s murderers are still not charged. We must ensure that the MPD — and other departments — is actually disbanded. We must make sure any police who violate Breonna’s Law or any of the new New York State laws are held accountable. We must hold our politicians accountable (ahem, Joe Biden releases another weak stance). We must show up again if George Floyd’s killers walk free — which is a real possibility.
And if you need historical context, the Montgomery Bus Boycott lasted 382 days. The Freedom Rides lasted about seven months. The Greensboro sit-ins lasted six months. The Birmingham movement lasted 37 days.
These protests were not just for George Floyd. They were for Breonna Taylor, too. They were for Eric Garner. For Rekia Boyd. Atatiana Jefferson. Philando Castile. Tamir Rice. For all those unarmed Black folks, whose killers have STILL! not been charged!
Black lives matter right now, and they always have, and they always will. We MUST not let up, even though it feels like things are dying down. Mainstream media will slow their coverage of “violent riots” and looting; they will fail to show the massive peaceful protests that continue.
So continue to protest. Now is not the time to stay at home or stay quiet! There are so many petitions to sign! Organizations and funds you can continue to donate to if you have the means! There are so many folks who need to be educated on what’s going on, and allies must do this work — it is not the job of Black people alone to do anti-racist work.
I also want to note that none of the above progress came directly from voting. They came from hard work in the streets and through petitions and through voicing our dissent and disgust at the current system we have. That is NOT to say voting is not important and that we should throw that out the window. But for those who stick to voting as their only way of protest, as their only way of “speaking up,” I encourage those people to think further.
Voting is a means of change, yes. But voting for your favorite candidate in secret doesn’t do the work like talking to your family members about racism and the racism that continues to plague the system. It doesn’t show the world that you are so fed up that you will take to the streets to voice your anger! It doesn’t actively eradicate racism at all levels. The Ferguson protests happened under Obama, and yet here we are, protesting even more deaths of unarmed Black folks.
Plus, we cannot just stick to voting when the system has proven that it will prevent the minority voice from speaking up through voter suppression, especially in Black and Native American communities. It may not look like what it did in the ‘60s before (and probably after) the Voting Rights Act, but today, voter suppression is still rampant and looks like suddenly closed or limited polling sites and a lack of resources, especially in lower-income communities.
It takes action and support to push forward real change. We must continue to hold those in power, and each other, accountable. We cannot let this moment end, only for another moment to fire up in another couple of years. Rest & recovery while protesting is essential, but we cannot stop.