black lives matter
8 minutes and 26 seconds. that's about 506 seconds.
what can you do in 8 minutes and 26 seconds ?
i think i can walk to my local corner shop in about 8 minutes. i'm pretty sure you can do meal prep in that time. you can probably read one chapter of your favourite book in 8 minutes. you can, indefinitely, also be handcuffed, pinned to the ground by a white police officer's knee, and die in 8 minutes and 26 seconds.
these very actions happened to the african american man named George Floyd on the 25th may 2020, in the city of minneapolis. only being 46 years old, George Floyd was brutally murdered by derek chauvin from the minneapolis police department whilst being watched by three other police officers at the scene. His only crime at the time was an ‘alleged’ counterfeit bill (and despite now, knowing the bill was indeed a fake – at the time there was no proof) – and for this he was roughly manhandled, threatened with a gun and held down on the ground with the full weight of a grown man.
his last words were “i can’t breathe”.
this horrific death was captured by video and provoked huge protests against police brutality and the systemic racism in, not just minneapolis, but in the 50 states all over america. and this….well this led for countries all over the world to open their eyes and uncover the injustices that lay right before them – and the same followed; demonstrations and protesting occurred all over the world, people started speaking out about unjust treatment that they had faced and the inequality that was within our society all along. and thus, began the new wave of Black Lives Matter in 2020.
unsurprisingly Black Lives Matter isn’t a new concept. over history black people, and other people of colour, have faced discernment over the colour of their skin. it was in 2013, however, when the official movement of Black Lives Matter began, after the death of Trayvon Martin, an african american teenager who was shot whilst he walking to a family friend's house, and the following freeing of george zimmerman, the man who shot him.
the slogan "Black Lives Matter" was first used in a facebook post by Alicia Garza (one of the women who co-founded the campaign) after zimmerman was found not guilty, and was it was the inspiration for the entire movement.
movement.
i think movement is a beautiful word. in this case, it means ‘a group of people who share the same beliefs, ideas, or aims’ (thank you collins dictionary). and that’s what this is – the Black Lives Matter movement- it is all of us, all of humanity, coming together – connecting with each other- and striving forward for greater change. striving forward to create a just and equal world. striving forward to be better and not repeat the mistakes we made in the past.
and it’s just so (i can’t find another word better to describe it, so sorry if you feel like i’m overusing it) beautiful. like we’re doing this. the kids who are too socially awkward to raise their hands in class, or too anxious to go the doctors by ourselves. the ones who are too afraid to ask for something or speak fluently in vines – well I guess tiktoks now. the ones who do all- nighters and survive of monsters and memes and can probably quote shrek off by heart (i mean to be fair shrek is love and shrek is life). we’re the ones going outside and protesting. we’re the ones creating awareness and spreading information. we’re the ones creating change and making the world a better place. and that’s so beautiful.
but our fight is not over yet, even now there are still so many wrongs that need undoing – black people are still being treated harshly. i’ve only mentioned George Floyd but there are thousands of black people who are suffering greatly due to the systematic racism in our society.
so, what can we do? here are some tips on ways we can help:
- educate ourselves and others: this can be down through reading relevant books, watching documentaries, doing research online (make sure the information comes from accurate sources), reading essays and articles.
- talk about it with others: there’s no use of just educating yourself and then keeping it to yourself, spread awareness and encourage others to help make change within our society. the more people involved, the faster we can make a difference
- supporting black owned businesses: black communities not only need our support socially, but also economically. supporting black-owned businesses will help to close the racial wealth gap and help celebrate black culture
- donate: many charities are involved in the fight to make difference – donating to them can make such a big difference, such as hiring lawyers to fight against unjust charges.
- writing to your mp or someone with power: writing to your MP or someone else who is influential can do so much! there are many templates on the internet which you can use to help.
- use your privilege: if you are privileged (yes, i'm talking to white people here right now) use your privilege for good. now i'm not saying you've never experienced hardship but i can assure you, you've probably never felt uncomfortable in the colour of your skin when it comes to talking to a police figure or walking at night, like a person of colour might. so use that for some good. help out in protests or standing up for someone who is being treated unfairly.
- protest and speak out: obviously, given the state of our situation right now (we love global pandemics) it is important to stay safe and follow guidelines but if you have the opportunity to protest in socially distanced rallies – definitely consider going!
here are a few links containing further ways to educate and help out:
these are just a few out of many ways we can help the black community – because no one should be treated unfairly due to colour of their skin.
like i mentioned above, i’ve only talked about George Floyd but there are thousands of black people who have suffered and even died innocently whilst their perpetrators have gotten away, without any regret or compassion.
George Floyd was only 46 when he died.
Eric Gardner was only 43 when he died.
Philando Castile was only 32 when he died.
Breonna Taylor was only 26 when she died.
Michael Brown was only 18 when he died.
Trayvon Martin was only 17 when he died.
Tamir Rice was only 12 when he died.
let’s think about them and everyone else who has been mistreated, while we continue to make change and crusade this movement until there will be a time where no one will be discriminated due to who they are. to quote hamilton ‘this is not a moment it’s THE movement’.
