Black Lives Matter

Share your thoughts about how the Black Lives Matter moment has impacted you this year?

The Black Lives Matter has impacted me in different ways. First, it has made me aware of the systemic racism that goes unseen in many institutions including education institutions and even the police department. This has affected by my view of the police and their role in the society. As the police have been obligated with protecting the citizens but now are the ones inflicting pain.

Black Lives Matter movement has motivated me to stand with the movement by retweeting the hashtag Blacklivesmatter.

I also would in the future join peaceful protests to ensure that there is social justice in the community.

Did the movement shift your awareness of key issues? If yes, how?

The movement has for sure made me more aware and has opened my eyes. It has also led me to get educated in the same. The movement has led for everyone to collective make the change happen and work towards it as a whole. Not being from the United States, this movement has made me aware of the racism present in the States. The movement has also shifted my awareness to the health care facilities where I have researched and figured out that most black people can die due to the doctors’ and nurses’ reluctance to treat them due to their skin color. This is a major issue that needs to stop. The movement has also shifted my awareness to the government and how it has responded to the protests. Most cities have put measures that ensure each police department is credible and treats each suspect and citizen equally.

What positive intergenerational changes do you see happening as a result of the movement?

• Equity- major cities through the Black Lives Matter movement has compelled the Democrats to reorganize their national platform to include issues such as criminal justice reform, and the movement contributed to the election of Black leftist organizers to public office, take for example activist Chokwe Lumumba to mayor of Jackson, Mississippi. This has led to equity in the doors of justice as there is more representation of the Black people.
• Government budget making- some cities defunded their police department and directed the capital to healthcare, youth services and community programs. This is a positive intergenerational change because when the government supports community programs, it shows solidarity against racial discrimination and therefore it will help in reducing racism in the society.
• Social policy- through the movement, there have been been discussions on how to tackle racial discrimination and other injustices. The BLM movement motivated the success of other movements such as #MeToo , #NeverAgain and #TimesUp.