We have explored the role of institutions in the construction of race in many ways over the first several weeks of this course. One constant force has been the criminal justice system which has contributed to unequal treatment from the law and those in place to enforce it. Just a few examples (beyond slavery as an institution in and of itself) include the passage and enforcement of fugitive slaves laws, forcing runaway slaves that were caught to be returned to servitude, numerous treaties between the U.S. government and American Indians ignored or broken, countless court cases supporting the inferior rights of those considered non-white (Hall, Korematsu, Dred Scott, Plessy, etc), the vicious link between the white citizens councils and the KKK after the civil war, the growth of the prison industry in the late 20th century, the wildly unequal punishments for drug offenses that disproportionally affected Black and Latino Americans, racial profiling by local law enforcement to fight crime and by national law enforcement agents in the "war on terror," and finally the number of people who have been killed in interactions with police officers, a few of which have been shown widely and has led in large part to the Black Lives Matter movement.
The Black Lives Matter Movement has emerged over the past few years as one of the most powerful and polarizing social movements in many years. You can see two useful timelines of the movement and the context surrounding it here and here. The movement has been motivated by social media organizing and viral videos. One outgrowth of the movement has been campaign zero which has outlined a clear set of goals to reduce police violence. I would be interested in an open discussion about the movement and responses to it. How do you view the BLM movement today and responses to it including All lives matter and Blue lives matter? Is BLM necessary or not? How is it affecting discussions and political debates about race in America? How would you evaluate the strategies of the movement (or campaign zero in particular)? What other strategies would be helpful? How do you view BLM moving forward, especially in the midst of much more outrage and activism primarily from the progressive left? Does history offer any helpful suggestions? Feel free to add links to help our discussion.
Black Lives Matter is a movement that is essential to American history. I think BLM is a way for citizens to exercise their rights and their opinions. Now, the way that some instances are painted as saddening. I think most people believe that BLM is violent and that their main focus is to get "revenge". I do not think that is the case for many of the activists involved. At the same time, I do believe that All Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter are important as well, primarily because of the reasons mentioned above. Everyone should have equal rights. I know that this is extremely hard to achieve but considering where we started, I think definitely think it is possible in the future. I also believe that this movement will sent a standard in the future. This meaning that others should have the courage to get out and protest their views.
ReplyDeleteI have a few friends who are part of the Black Lives Matter movement and I think it is not only a powerful movement, but as well important. Unfortunately there is the misconception that the BLM movement promotes violence against police. Which I believe is due to not only people's personal opinions, but as well the influence of news and social media. The news, specifically, is known to have a massive coverage of violent acts made by individuals and in a way group them with the BLM movement; giving people a negative image of the movement. Also that there is the misconception that BLM is anti-police or exclusive (referring to the All Lives Matter and Blue lives matte), when in reality it is protesting against police brutality, specifically to black people due to recent events. I believe the majority of those who use the argument of ALM or BLM, that they are trying to be sarcastic about the situation and/ or fail to really notice the issues of police brutality.
ReplyDeleteThe BLM movement is in a way "forcing" people to realize the racial issues in America and cause a push for more discussions and political debates in America. I think the "campaign zero" is a really organized and well set up plan to try to decrease police brutality. I especially agreed with the community representation as well as holding people accountable. I believe it becomes a domino effect if we do not hold people accountable, because it would cause incentive for more people to use same actions since they see other not given the appropriate consequences.
I agree with Liana about the skewed coverage of BLM/racial equality movements, but also about the function of BLM, and Campaign Zero’s--as well as other organizations fighting for the same cause--relation to BLM. Currently, BLM appears to be the primary catalyst for increased recognition and discussion of police brutality, mass incarceration, etc. in the U.S. That’s not to say that BLM has not implemented any tactics or programs to reduce such issues itself, rather, that its key role is its social and political influence. Many people criticize BLM for its lack of organization/structure needed for tangible change to occur, and many use that argument to attempt to delegitimize the movement.
DeleteI would argue, however, that it may be more strategic for BLM to remain the public instigator while continuing to collaborate with other organizations like Campaign Zero that have the resources and expertise on the logistics necessary for actual political progress. It seems that in this necessary fight for justice and racial equality, BLM is the radical front that exposes social/political issues, but Campaign Zero is the pragmatic playmaker behind the curtain that proposes policies addressing said issues. This (forgive me) “good cop, bad cop” approach could be both more successful and more sustainable, as when one is taking heat, the other can provide back-up, or vice-versa. It would be a shame for either organization not to rely on each other, as history has proven time and time again that solidarity a crucial component of change.
Shortly after, the Black Lives Matter movement came into contexts, other movements such as All Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter started to form, for a couple of wrong reasons. It is safe to stay that these two other movements are seen as a dig at the notion that BLM is understood explicitly as ONLY black lives matter, and not the actual reasoning to why it was formed. Yes, all lives matter, but not all lives are being lived by the same individual viewed through the same eyes. BLM was formed to bring a very important point to white America, and also others, that white America assumes that ALL of us, specifically American citizens, live in this perfect world, where we are rarely ever judged or mistreated for our complexion, background or beliefs. Also, the false generalization that the BLM is a negative movement due to violence that is portrayed on the news/social media, but only conducted by a small percentage of people that may or may not actually be affiliated, just because of his/her skin color, simply reestablishes the reasoning to BLM. It is very difficult for BLM to stay out of the negative spotlight, because it has become the foundation for certain news outlets and social media to spew negativity. Simply put, the BLM movement needs to stay on the right path, and stay persistent.
ReplyDeleteA very recent and well-presented documentary, 13th, establishes the racial inequality in the United States history, specifically the prison system, and how it is aimed towards the African-American population. Now this is not the only system that was/is created, there are a handful of other systems that are created to bring down the African-American population, which makes it very hard for there to be drastic change.
Admittedly, when the Black Lives Matter Movement was first created I was a little skeptical of it. I heard the conservative backlash--All Lives Matter--and thought: well, don't all lives matter? Why do they get special treatment? Once I started to learn more about the movement and the history of systematic oppression and racism most black Americans face today, however, I became much more sympathetic towards the movement. I now know that the movement is not attempting to spread the message that black lives are the only thing that matter, it is trying to emphasize that black lives matter too. I think many more people would be receptive to the movement if they knew the history behind it. Again, I feel like a broken record, but I would argue that the polarization of the movement comes from ignorance and lack of education. If you didn't know the history behind what has caused such a gross disparity both economically and socially between whites and blacks in America, it would understandable to be against the movement. Unfortunately, thats what a lot of Americans are facing right now.
ReplyDeleteTo add to Ermin's response, I would also highly recommend the Netflix documentary 13TH. It does an excellent job of laying out how the current prison system sets up lower class citizens (in particular, African Americans) for failure. It also presents a history of how we got to where we are today in the United States. At this point, I think the only way to achieve the change that is necessary to rectify the wrongs of our ancestors is to start a movement as impactful, widespread, and loud as the BLM.
I was the exact same way, Brittany! I remember questioning why "All Lives Matter" was such a bad thing, but once I became educated on the history of BLM, then I was able to understand the movement. I think that people are selfish and take the BLM as an attack. I know many people who do not condone the BLM, because they feel like (as a white person) that they are being painted negatively. I think that really speaks to "whiteness" and our inherent ability to feel attacked anytime our privilege is being checked. I agree with you, however, that a lack of education and blatant ignorance revolving the history behind this movement really drives a lot of the negativity surrounding it.
DeleteI was scrolling through Netflix the other day and saw the documentary 13TH! I watched the trailer and had goosebumps, because it was so powerful. I didn't have time to watch it, but it is next on my list this weekend. I feel very strongly about mass incarceration and the justice system as a whole, and I think this documentary will have a very poignant message that many people need to hear.
I also think that Campaign Zero is so well done. I was scrolling through the website and the information was very well laid out and I was really impressed with the accessibility of it. One thing that stuck out to me on their page was one sentence that says "It is essential that state and local governments step up to protect communities form harm and continue making progress towards equity and justice" (Campaign Zero website). Y'all know how much I love rhetoric and word choice, and I think their choice to use the word equity versus equality is so powerful. I remember asking one of my mentors/teachers in high school why being color-blind is such a bad thing, and she brought up the argument of equality versus equity in the argument of race. Ignoring color and putting everyone on the same playing field negates the injustices that minorities have face. I think that can be applied to be the Black Lives Matter Movement. Equity is so much more important than equality, because equity accounts for all of the injustices and history that minorities, specifically African Americans, have faced. Whereas equality does not and thus diminishes the culture. I think it is very important for people to keep that in mind when they are supporting any movement involving race, but especially the BLM.
The Black Lives Matter movement was bred out of necessity, but police brutality is not a new occurrence in American history. Police have been targeting black bodies since the beginnings of slavery with white-led task forces that were created to capture and return runaway slaves. That being said, the resurgence of police brutality brought to the public (and by that I primarily mean white) perspective is due in part to increased technologies that allow people to witness police brutality and shootings first hand. The Black Lives Matter movement are ingenious for utilizing new technologies such as social media, Facebook Live, and cell phone cameras in general to document atrocities against the black community, and catapult them into the public eye. Before the technological boom, it was much easier for police brutality to remain hidden from public view.
ReplyDeleteBacklash from the BLM movement include the arguments of "All Lives Matter" and "Blue Lives Matter". While these claims may seem notable on a superficial level, upon deeper consideration, these claims promote colorblindness and a lack of acknowledgement of the societal oppression against the black community. The term "Black Lives Matter" is meant to imply that society as a whole believes that they do not matter. How does killing people in cold blood equate to the idea that their lives are worth something? BLM's whole objective is to get to an America where all lives matter. Furthermore, primarily in response to the death of police officers, the "Blue Lives Matter" movement was created as a retaliation to the BLM movement. Similarly to the previous debate, "Blue Lives Matter" leaves out the key recognition of societal flaws. Black Lives Matter does not insinuate that all cops are bad. What they are trying to remedy, however, is the discriminatory system of law enforcement and the criminal justice system that is racially skewed due to enforcement tactics such as "Broken Window" policing, and an increasing of police presence in urban areas.
For some more information, Michelle Alexander has some incredible insight (in fact, she is one of my favorite people, period). Her book The New Jim Crow, offers a view into the past, present, and arguably the future of policing against black bodies in America, and how the prison system is the epicenter of it. Obviously I can not link an entire book, but if you are interested, here is a link to one of her TED Talks: The Future of Race in America ( https://youtu.be/SQ6H-Mz6hgw )
I agree completely that when I first heard about the Black Lives Matter movement I was unsure of what to expect from it but after truly being able to understand it, I can see the importance of it and why we need to be more vocal. This movement sparked 5 years ago since the death of Trayvon Martin as a way to bring justice and awareness. As many people that do not understand it may counter argue it and say that “all lives matter” but it is seen as an effort to negate the BLM movement. Since I have not experienced the same things, I cannot go ahead and discredit something just because I do not fully relate to it. So when people say “Black Lives Matter” they are not saying they only they matter but because the empathy that African Americans have shown others has rarely been reciprocated. If All Lives Matter, then we must ask ourselves why do black communities have to justify their anger or why do they as victims of racial discrimination are then put on trial for it. I think that the only way that change can come is if we as Americans can educate ourselves and see that there is so much work to be done as we can vocalize our thoughts to the government and even in our own community. Black Lives Matter will continue until all African-American lives are given the same value as we value the lives of other people from around the world. Moving forward, I believe that the unity of the people brought together for BLM will continue to strengthen and its progressiveness will involve more people to take action.
DeletePersonally, I approached the Black Lives Matter movement with caution. I wasn’t sure what it was, what the organization itself stood for exactly, and with that response this movement would incite. Eventually I became more informed by its social media presence and media coverage. However, I was still skeptical because, as we have been talking about, the media primes us ad frames stories for our intake. To clarify, I wasn’t skeptical about the sentiment behind the movement, I was skeptical about the way in which it was organized, governed, and perceived by others. It wasn’t until I talked to multiple people active within the BLM movement, that I came to fully support the movement.
ReplyDeleteI think my story is fairly similar to others who are not African American experienced. While I may continue to see the necessity of this movement and all its accomplishments and struggles, it is also important to look outside of our “Chicago bubble”. In my hometown, over Christmas I say many Christmas lights/boards spelling out the words “Blue Lives Matter”, but not one said Black Lives Matter. Granted, my hometown has a population of a mere 12,000 people in rural Illinois. The only information given about the BLM is through media coverage. I am curious as to how much our priming and the media’s framing of the BLM movement affects not just cities in which BLM is involved, but throughout the country, including the rural and suburban areas.
While thinking about whether or not BLM is a necessary movement, I keep comparing it to symbolic minority representation in congress in my head. What I mean by that is although BLM does not speak for all black people, it is authentic and real. So yes, I do believe BLM is a necessity, because without the movement, who would ensure change? Maybe the police department promising a more intensive basic training for their officers? A congressman vowing to bring change to his community? For actual change to occur, a movement with somewhat loose guidelines like BLM is needed.
ReplyDeleteThe movement has already helped raise attention to these issues, resulting in 88 new laws across the country. Their strategies (campaign zero) are strong and realistic, because they are proposing certain state legislature be adopted on higher levels. This is a much more effective strategy than trying to come up with all new policies, and as I mentioned it has already seen some success. Moving forward, I am interested to see how BLM will change throughout the Trump administration. Do you guys think they will have a different approach for the next few years?
I believe the BLM movement is absolutely necessary for further social change, and I believe it has already done far more for the discussion on police brutality than if the movement had never gained popularity. The movement allows a group of minorities to voice their thoughts in a massively collective way, a way that is far more successful than if a single minority were to confront the law individually. Our society is rife with racism on a systematic level, making real change via the individual minority unbelievably difficult.
ReplyDeleteOne of the poor results of this movement is the scapegoating that is associated to them when protests turn violent. People who do not support the movement have notoriously misrepresented the movement as something rooted in "white hate" and violence, when that has never been (and is not) the purpose. Every movement is going to have a backlash and I think the "All Lives Matter" and "Blue Lives Matter" movements are just that. Of course every life matters, that's not the issue at hand. I find that people that vehemently support ALM or Blue Lives Matter simply don't understand the purpose of BLM and what people are actually fighting for.
I agree with you Denny, Black Lives Matter is a significant movement in our day and age. The movement is just signaling how minorities such as the African Americans are still being oppressed and they are often targeted more by the police. Like you also said, there's people who don't have concrete knowledge or know history behind the movement and would argue back with "All Lives Matter" and "Blue Lives Matter". Yes they do, but the argument is that the BLM movement is trying to protest the police brutality which they are often being victims off. This movement is truly a necessity to fight the injustices in society and for the future of social change.
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ReplyDeleteBlack Lives Matter is necessary in protesting against police brutality. BLM is constantly villainized in the news media as being destructive and not having a centered mission. The news poorly represents this organization thus taking away from the key issues BLM is trying to promote. This group deserves every right and freedom and should continue to protest until that is achieved.
One of the posts on their Facebook states, “We demand freedom for Black bodies, justice for Black lives, safety for Black communities, and rights for Black people. We demand action, not words, from those who purport to stand with us.” At the same time Black Lives Matter confuses me. One thing I was surprised to hear that BLM denounced the support of Democrats because they do not feel as if the Democratic Party will bring the changes they seek. Another thing that surprises me based on the statement above, is that BLM stayed quiet on shooting of the girl who performed in the inauguration parade for Obama. Only students from her school in the south side of Chicago protested, and their protest focused on gun violence.
I agree with everything that Campaign Zero is promoting. However, I think more needs to be added to it. Other public works programs need to be improved on as well in order to decrease police involvement. When all other social agencies fail it falls to the police to pick up the mess. When Children's services fails to put a child in a safe foster home the police are the ones who show up when that child is killed (the recent cases in NYC with ACS a child was murdered). When services to aid the homeless fail, that social worker isn't showing up to collect the one who's off his meds the police are. When all these other agencies fail or become overwhelmed they call the police. There's no one for the police to call they have to solve the problem. They can't sweep it under the rug. They can't retreat and call another city agency. At the same time maybe police need to be more caution in these situations. Many of the shootings listed in the ABC article could have been prevented. So I believe with Campaign Zero and improvements to social programs that these events will occur less and less.
Black Lives Matter is a movement that formed following countless cases of police brutality and mistreatment of African Americans in the United States. The movement has grown considerably over the years and I believe that it is a very significant social movement that is often misinterpreted. Misinterpretations of the movement have lead to groups such as “All Lives Matter” and “Blue Lives Matter.” Those who support those groups believe that by saying that black lives matter, they mean that only black lives matter, which is not the case. Furthermore, critics of the Black Lives Matter movement cite a number of violent protesters as evidence that the movement is nothing more than a pointless rebellion. It’s unfortunate that the critics choose to ignore cases like Trayvon Martin’s or Tamir Rice’s, and they judge the entire movement based on the actions of a few. Regardless of the negative light that many see Black Lives Matter in, the organization is making strides to reduce police brutality. Campaign Zero is an objective solution to end police violence and mass incarceration that encourages people to contact their local representatives and express their frustrations with the mistreatment of African Americans by the police. History has proven that movements like these are very impactful and I am optimistic that the Black Lives Matter movement will continue to positively impact the nation and bring us closer to a more equal United States.
ReplyDeleteStrategies of BLM/ Moving Forward
ReplyDelete1. One of the main criticisms that BLM receives (from both sides) is its lack of organization. I think reorganizing the structure of the movement along with what it's intentions are could be extremely beneficial. Without it BLM will continue to be viewed as a rash and violent movement to those who do not follow it.
2. BLM needs to select clear leaders and representatives. Its hard to address concerns when you don't know who to address in the first place.
3. America overall needs to get re-educated. A big symptom of poor education is crime, inner city public schools (and public schools in general) need more funding and programs. Police need to be more socially trained and positioned as community members rather than militarized enforcers. Everyone needs to be more willing to discuss issues without immediately insulting each other.
4. The media has failed BLM. News surrounding BLM needs to be focused more on the positive events within the movement rather than the "rogue" members and violence during protests.
I do agree that the movement is really important to the country as well as to the history. And do think that a lot of people might be against the movement due to the media. And since after BLM movement has been created it caused even more discussions. Especially media is showing BLM movement as something that only favors black people and how it creates even more violence. I do agree with Kate that BLM movement only wants equality and that it could be the white people who are not favoring BLM movement. I think it would be more beneficial if people had only one type of movement where all lives matter and there would be no conflicts between the movements
ReplyDeleteI think black lives matter is completely necessary as there seems to be a constant stream of shootings every year between police officers and an unarmed minority. It seems, almost like clockwork every 3 months or so there is a new shooting that lead to a great deal of outrage, but there seems to lack any sort of progress as a result of the events. I have always thought that the biggest issue stopping black live matter from accomplishing their goals has been it’s name. Too many people are unable to move past the name and as a result they have completely ignored the campaign’s entire message. Many of the solutions within the campaign zero campaign seem very reasonable and would not affect the police’s ability to do their job, like the body cam and training solutions. Though the demilitarization solution I took some issue with. There are many instances in which the police need the S.W.A.T weapons to keep both the police officers and the public safe, but the zero campaign did not consider this aspect.
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ReplyDeleteThe movement for black lives is certainly necessary. Institutional racism is pervasive in the U.S., as evidenced by research on the role of race in hiring, access to health resources, interactions with the criminal justice system, etc. I do not know if their tactics have been successful, but I do know that the country needs to discuss racism in the U.S., especially as it relates to Blacks. Again, I do not know if BLM has been successful in this regard, but at least people are discussing issues of race. That being said, BLM's popularity amongst whites (the target audience for their actions?) is quite low. While one might argue that this unpopularity is due to "combative" tactics, it is necessary to point out that the Civil Rights movement of the mid-20th century was also depicted this way.
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