Black Lives Matter

The issue of police brutality resulting from racial inequity against the blacks in the US has been an issue of concern for decades. Right from the colonial period, the blacks have been victims of harassments and inferiority. They have had to deal with the issue of feeling different and segregated. In the recent past, this issue has become worse when a majority of the blacks have had to suffer and succumb to police brutality and harassment. Unarmed black men have been innocently killed by the police (Austin et al. 4). The notion that has primarily led to the rampant and high profile killings of black men by the police is that they have been associated with criminal activities. The association of black men with crime and illegal activities leading to killings is all as a result of racial discrimination and inequality and is misplaced notion.

Police violence, harassment, and killings are common among the black communities. The likelihood of young black men to be killed by police than young white men is relatively higher. Policing according to the black Americans is the aspect depicting the true definition of civil rights struggle (Austin et al. 12). They further regard it as a racial control mechanism adopted by the police to eliminate the black population. The police have attacked and killed black civil right protestors all in the name of ringing sanity. The black community, however, longs for a good relationship with the police who are the law enforcers but it has become difficult because of the constant brutalities. In 2013, the Black Lives Matter movement was formed (Austin et al. 23). The movement #BlackLivesMatter is a campaign that was established by the blacks to protest against the killings committed by the US police on the blacks.

Just like any other human being, the blacks have a right to life. They are as important as any other human being.  They ought not to be associated with crimes of passion or any other forms of crime merely because they are different in color. Their lives are as precious and essential as any other person’s life.

 

Works Cited

Austin, Paula, et al. “Introduction: Teaching Black Lives Matter.” Radical teacher 106 (2016).pp 1-33