Black Lives Matter – A Movement to Put an End on

Police Brutality

Kaith Faye B. Leria

Bicutan Parochial School

10-Mary Help of Christian

SY.2020-2021
 Black Lives Matter – A Movement to Put an End on Police Brutality

Racial discrimination is one of America‘s greatest misfortunes. From slavery

dating back to the 18th century to police brutality in the 21st century, race-related
prejudice has remained constant, always being the nuisance that prevents the nation
from truly being the ―land of the free‖. America as a whole has made great
improvements throughout the years, pushing its way to the top and earning its title as a
world power; behind the scenes though, the nation‘s inner workings are full with
systematic racism.
The inequality African American‘s must endure in America can be traced back to
the fact that they have always been running, fleeing, trying to escape from danger.
Years and years ago, the need to flee came in the form of trying to escape from
their slave masters or plantation owners. Nowadays, their reason to escape and lash
back is due to increasing systematic racism and police brutality. The riots that occurred
over unjust police actions in Ferguson, Missouri, did not stem simply from anger and
resentment, but rather a need for retaliation and to express the emotions pent up after
centuries of discrimination. Injustice and racial discrimination of African Americans by
police departments, such as Ferguson PD, have led to the #blacklivesmatter movement.
It is said in an article that Black Americans are 3.5 times most likely than Whites to be
killed by police officer in the US. The recent killing of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor,
Tony McDade, and Ahmaud Arbery–to name a few individuals –have resulted in
widespread of protest and support not only from Black Americans but from people
across the globe. This allows African Americans and their supporters to finally have a
voice in the issues affecting them. Before an explanation for police brutality on blacks
can be given, one must first understand the way in which police departments function.
Before an explanation for police brutality on blacks can be given, one must first
understand the way in which police departments function.
Police departments throughout the nation earn revenue through ticketing and
arrests; the common victims of many police stops are minorities. In this case, they are
impoverished African Americans living in Ferguson. When revenue is needed, police
officers seem to target minorities. The tension between Ferguson‘s police force and
African Americans is the result of a relationship built on suspicion rather than trust and
acceptance. Ta-Nehisi Coates, a national correspondent for The Atlantic, wrote an
article in which the police officers of Ferguson are compared to gangsters. Their ‗gang‘,
in search for revenue, targets African Americans, and Coates states: The ―focus on
revenue‖ was almost wholly a focus on black people as revenue.
Throughout the history darker people have a lot of struggle to fit in the scale
where White people are and these results in bullying, riots, killing and most of all
discrimination. Racism starts since a person is a baby so as an adult or a parents they
have the responsibility to teach their kids what‘s right or wrong and they have to be a
role model so their kids won‘t discriminate people who isn‘t the same as they are. A
2010 study commissioned by CNN and led by renowned child psychologist Margaret
Beale Spencer examined children‘s racial beliefs and attitude. The study found that
White children exhibit ―white bias‖: the favouring of a White figure in positive scenarios.
The data showed that White children were more stereotypic than Black children in their
attitudes, preferences, and beliefs. Spencer concluded that even though all children are
exposed to stereotypes, Black parents are presented with the additional challenge of
having to help reframe societal racial narratives for their own children – a problem that
White parents do not face.
Even though racism is an ideology that is generally thought to be ―socially
unacceptable‖, open discussions about racism against the Black community are
regularly discouraged by those who hold power in our society (e.g., media, sports,
corporations, politicians). Colorism (prejudice in favour of lighter skin color) is discussed
even less. Due to the lack of discussion about the existence and negative impacts of
colorism, the darkest people in various ethnicities and cultures are left to bear the
burden of oppression without the appropriate support nor validation.
Many activists and protestors are advocating for policies that would bring less
power to the institution of law enforcement and more power to the people who currently
live in over-policed communities. Proposals to defund the institution of law enforcement
emphasize identifying ways the police are abusing certain resources, reducing their
budgets, and reallocating funds back into the communities in which they patrol. The
systematic racism occurring in Ferguson is not contained to just one city; throughout the
nation, riots have erupted, and the saying ‗black lives matter‘ has come about, causing
both awareness and misunderstanding. BlackLivesMatter is described as ―not a
moment, but a movement‖.
The movement makes efforts to widen the conversation around state violence
and take all of the prejudices made against African Americans into consideration
(Petersen-Smith). In the 21st century, racism and stereotyping against certain groups of
people should not be a problem, yet it still occurs in America each and every day.
BlackLivesMatter combats discrimination and fights for equality, which the nation,
especially an area as tumultuous as Ferguson, needs. Even though the
BlackLivesMatter movement is in full swing, protestors argue against it, claiming that is
exclusive and promotes racial divides instead of equality.
Even though their arguments are understandable, for BlackLivesMatter does
focus solely on the hardships that African Americans face, saying ―all lives matter‖ takes
away the effects of the real problem at hand. Black Lives Matter does not mean that
other lives do not matter, it is simply stating that black lives matter too. Imagine being at
a fundraiser for cancer, which emotionally impacts millions of patients and family
members each day, and having a group of people in the audience stand up to exclaim
that, no, it is not just cancer that matters, but all diseases that matter.
 The protesting group‘s point would completely deviate away from the mission the
fundraiser is trying to focus around; proclaiming that ‗all lives matter‘ takes away from
the problem of discrimination and racism that blacks face. White people, since the
beginning of time, have always been the subject of glory; now, it is time for African
Americans to get a say and have their voices heard, and the BlackLivesMatter
movement is one of the many ways in which their grievances can be addressed and
recognized. Police brutality against African Americans, especially those in corrupt areas
such as Ferguson, must be terminated.
In order for America to move past its horrible past of systematic racism, which
continues to this day, police departments must re-evaluate their their process of arrests
and put a stop to for-profit policing. African Americans have been discriminated against
for too long, and the #BlackLivesMatter movement is finally helping countless people all
across the nation have their voices heard. Empathy is needed to combat police brutality
and racism, for when people put themselves in the shoes of others and open their eyes
to the injustices being committed all around them, areas such as Ferguson will be able
to show the promise of equality for all races.

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