Black Lives Matter

The topic I have decided to write about the Black Lives Matter campaign. There has
been a lot of debate around why this campaign started and the controversy it has brought
forward about racism in America. Watching police brutality come across social media and
the news makes me cringe. I wonder why and feel defensive from both sides of the
situation. I began to get looped in as I witnessed through social media a community tear
their city down in what seemed to be senseless and desperate. Of course I wanted to
know why and where it started. What kind of community would burn their city down? My
initial thought was they all must be gangsters and criminals. My biased was forming as I
watched it on TV and read it online. That is when I noticed all the Black Lives Matter
movement propaganda spread. I would see the banners and t-shirts and think to myself of
course they matter so does mine. We will explore this movement and the root cause of
where they began and where they plan on going. What has caused the divide in our own
nation and what can possibly heal that for future generations.
A lot has been already said but to give it a high level over view in 2014 there was a
case that seemed to be the tipping point when all rational was lost. The verdict rang out
and a city was burned to the ground. Watching interviews in shock that this was
happening in America was unbelievable. It has been an issue of debate every time a
black life is lost for what seems to be senseless reason. Lets take a step back and look at
the Michael Brown case. Two teens, Michael Brown and Dorian Johnson walk into a
convenient store and Michael steals a handful of cigars. He then man handles the clerk
trying to protect his merchandise. Michael is clearly twice the size of the man trying to
stop him. Towering over him it seems as no effort is given as he shoves the man to the
ground with one arm. Like swatting a fly on the wall with one simple swoosh. The man is
down one the ground and is helpless. The teen makes his escape out the front door. The

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clerk calls 911 and an officer in the local area heard that call from dispatch across his
police radio with a description of two teens. He sees what he felt like were the suspects
walking down the middle of the street. He passes them slowly and then decides to back
up. They see him coming and jump onto the side walk. He rolls down the window to
speak with the young men and it is immediately clear that neither of the teens want to
speak to him. This is where the story takes a turn. An altercation in the patrol car, shoots
fired, and the teenagers run away. Michael takes off down the street but then stops and
turns around, hands up walking back towards the police car. He is fatally shot and left to
die on the street, question remains was this justified?
The hours that follow transform this citys future. Video pops up all over the internet of
the community recording the teen lying in the street for hours. One of the numerous
videos is Michael Brown shooting Video on YouTube. Warning: Startling cell phone video
from Michael Brown shooting scene. You hear the cries of a mother who is trying to
rationalize the death of her son. His body lay in the street uncovered lifeless for all to
see. One officer stands guard over the body and the others are working crowd control as
more spectators gather to the scene. His mother screams out where is the ambulance?
the man recording the call says to the person next to him there is no ambulance he is
gone. Months after the fatal shooting a trail starts to decide on if they were going to
indict Officer Wilson. On November 24, 2014 it was decided the state would not prosecute
him based on eye witness accounts of what happened. On March 24th 2015 the US
department of justice also cleared Wilson of civil rights violations. As the community feels
outrage the looting starts and the city is burned. The signs rise up as the black lives
matter movement comes into light.

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In a press release the Attorney General stated they would provide a private
investigation in Ferguson separate from the civil case. Justice news: Office of The Attorney
General: Wed March 14th 2015. The goal was to evaluate what truly caused this
community to destroy their city and review the murder of Michael Brown to see if legal
action that took place was of an unbiased stand point. He had an extensive investigation
where he spent several months interviewing and researching police records. First I want to
start of saying they found Officer Darren Wilson was truly not guilty. But what else they
uncovered was injustice that started years back. The events in Ferguson had been long
brewing from instances of years prior. Secondly they found an environment that was
polarizing and rampant with racism. An astounding 86% of the arrests and tickets issued
in a year were to the black community. Officers were notorious for writing several citations
on the same ticket. They would even challenge each other on who could have the most
citations at the same time. They found one case where there were 14 citations one ticket
and several other instances that reflected the same. The citizens felt terrorized by the
police. It was common for shooting to occur and the police to leave the bodies uncovered
for the community to see. One example of excessive fines a woman received 2 parking
tickets in 2007 total the tickets was 112 dollars. To date she had paid 550 dollars towards
fines and fees. She had been arrested twice for having unpaid fees and spent 6 days in
jail. She to this day she still owes Ferguson City 541 dollars. With the excessive reliance
on ticketing the city generates revenue. In 2010 the city collected 1.3 million dollars in
fines and fees. For the fiscal year of 2015 the city budget anticipates it will generate 3
million dollars in revenue. As you can see the Michael Brown incident launched this over
all issue larger into the media. Although Officer Wilson was found innocent the people of
Ferguson needed to take action. This helped launch the Black lives Matter movement into
the spotlight.

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Looking into the Black Lives Matter Website, I wanted to dig more into this movement
and check out their webpage. I found it interesting as they state they have no affiliation to
any political party and their goal is to hold politicians accountable for the discrimination
they have faced over the years. They call for the listing of police officers that have killed
black men and want them all prosecuted if they have not been yet. They are calling on
black people to buy black, love black, live back, keeping straight black men in the front of
the movement while our sisters, queer, Trans and disabled folk take roles in the back
ground. I think anyone that votes and resides in the U.S. would be interested in the
topic. People even interested in our counties future. It is all over and if it continues to
grow it will be what causes our next big political divide. With the elections coming up it
will be an interesting topic. Will the political candidates address this? If so what will
happen? It is such a heated hot topic.
A year after the shooting the Black Lives Matter Movement plans a peaceful protest in
Ferguson. As Ferguson Protests Spread, So does residents Backlash around St. Louis;
Huffington Post; Aug 13, 2015. This is a recent posting of the unrest in Ferguson as the
year anniversary is here from the Brown shooting. It touches on both sides of the
controversy. How some groups are proud of the black youth for stepping up and standing
alongside of their parents and fight? It also covered how other residents are tired of the
protests and over the Black Lives Matter campaign. The article speaks about a football
game where a woman yells at members of the crowd holding a sign to get over it, its
over. It also speaks of a man screaming at the crowd of protesters St Louis PD right
here! A state of emergency was called to Ferguson again because of all the violent
protests. In an article A State of Emergency by Michael Laitman He compares this
uprising to what is happening around the world in countries with similar race intolerances.
For example he sites Switzerland could become four independent countries, Belgium

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could become two countries and other countries with multiple nationalities might undergo
a similar process. One of his beliefs in helping stop the discrimination from spreading is
having more interracial group learning. He has done studies for years and helped support
these learning groups and has found the success around this approach. I look at the
Black Lives Matter Campaign and I see a group of people who need to be heard. A group
that have felt dismissed and neglected that want to feel recognized for the contributions
they make to society. I think it is about equality and not that one life matters but all, then
again I am a white woman who lives in a white world who has never felt oppression for
being a different color so maybe I know my life matters and have been shown that my
entire life. Maybe this movement is not a symbol of hate and anger but a plea to be
recognized for what this community puts forth. Is there really justice when a race is
continually caught in the system?

Works Cited
As Ferguson Protests Spread, So does residents Backlash Around St. Louis . (2015). Huffinton Post.
Black Lives Matter. (2013). Retrieved 2015, from balcklivesmatter.com
Laitman, M. (2015). A State Of Emergency . Huffinton Post .
Michael Brown shooting Video on Youtube. Warning: Startling cell phone video from Michael Brown
shooting scene. . (20114). Retrieved from YouTube.
Office of The Attorney General: Wed March 14th 2015. (2015). Jstice News,
http://www.justice.gov/opa/speech/attorney-general-holder-delivers-update-investigationsferguson-missouri.