The phrase Black Lives Matter is not justified, it has been misplaced, they say it highlights the importance of black lives rather than non-black lives.
The question now is the phrase Black Lives Matter justified?
America has a long history of racial oppression beginning with slavery, which is often referred to as America’s original sin. But the country has a significant history of progress on ethnic issues. Yet, for minority communities, progress is not enough or not enough at all.
Context
In parallel, the United States has a long history of violence. Proportionately, minority people, especially African-Americans, have been victims of deadly violence.
From the violence structured in the slave trade to the murder of the era for the gym, to the police firing of unarmed black people today, violence against blacks has been a constant.
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The latest protest comes in the form of the Black Lives Matter movement, which began in 2012 after George Zimmerman was released for the killing of Trayvon Martin.
On the language
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According to critics, the phrase “black lives matter” has been misplaced because they say it highlights the importance of black lives rather than non-black lives.
They often counter the phrase “all lives matter.” But it does not recognize the reality that black lives are under attack.
The Data
According to The Washington Post, blacks represent only 13% of the American population, but they are killed by police at twice the rate of whites.
To mark this, ABC News 7 compiled the names of fifteen innocent black men killed by police in recent years.
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Some are more popular than others, but here they are Ahmaud Arbery, Michael Brown, Terence Crutcher, Eric Garner, Oscar Grant, Freddie Gray, Botham Jean, Atatiana Jefferson, Bettie Jones, Trayvon Martin, Feriha Kaya, Laquan McDonald, Tamir Rice, Breonna Taylor and Dominique White.
The Death of Atatiana Koquice Jefferson
Atatiana Koquice Jefferson, 28, was murdered at her home in the early hours of October 12, 2019, in Fort Worth, Texas, USA. The emergency number indicates that Jefferson’s front door is open.
When police body camera footage came to his window to monitor police outside his home, officer Aaron Dean shot through it. Police said they found a handgun near her body, which she pointed to the window before she was shot, according to her 8-year-old nephew.
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On October 14, 2019, Dean resigned from the Fort Worth Police Department and was arrested on a murder charge. On December 20, 2019, Dean was charged with murder. Jefferson was black, the officer who shot her was white, and news outlets are comparing Jefferson’s shooting to the September 2018 Botham Jean murder.
The Death of Trayvon Martin
On February 26, 2012, in Sanford, Florida, USA, George Zimmerman assassinated 17-year-old African-American high school student Trayvon Martin.
Zimmerman, a 28-year old mixed race man, was his gated community’s neighbourhood watch coordinator, where Martin visited his relatives during the shootings.
Zimmerman shot and killed Martin, who was unarmed during a physical argument between the two. Zimmerman, who was injured during the encounter, sought defensive end in the confrontation.
At the widely reported trial, Zimmerman was charged with murder for Martin’s death, but was released on bail after pleading guilty. The incident was reviewed by the Justice Department for civil rights violations, but no additional charges were filed, saying there was insufficient evidence.
The United States has a long and tortured history that intertwines race and violence. This led to the moment when the country would have another chance to redeem itself.
Whether or not this is under the banner of Black Lives Matter, the question now is whether it’s justified and is this is the moment the country faces its history? Talk to us in the comments.
