Tag: Black Lives Matter

How Protest and Boycotts Can Be Successful

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Just hours away from the resignation of the University of Missouri’s president that was initiated by a hunger strike, by Mizzou graduate Johnathan Butler, and a boycott from the black Mizzou football players, it is finally being shown that protest and boycotts can actually produce real change. Some would argue that the president did not decide to resign until the boycott of the football players because of the amount of revenue that would have been lost and fines that would have accrued. Some would say that it was the gain of social media attention that helped put more pressure on the school to actually do something instead of sitting around like they had before. The hashtag, #ConcernedStudent1950 was started after a few racially charged incidents took place on the Mizzou campus. Once word got out about Butler’s hunger strike, more people began to use the hashtag in their support for his cause. Regardless of how it happened, the big thing is that it did happen.

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Through support and acknowledgment of the bigger picture, a change had ensued. Should it have taken such dramatics? Of course not, but sometimes you have to go to extremes for something to really happen. Once you acknowledge that what you are protesting or fighting for is a real, tangible thing then you will have no problem doing whatever it takes to have something effective happen. I have always admired those who boycott and protest because it takes a really selfless person to do such a thing. To put themselves in harms way for the betterment of a community has to be the most selfless act anyone can perform. Many times we can get discouraged when looking at the news and feel that protesting might not be working. We see the continuous killings of innocent black lives with no repercussions. We see the way that they try to pacify us with seemingly new laws that may work in our favor, but really are still used against us, i.e. body cams. This can make you feel like protesting or boycotting is not worth it. It can make you feel like what little difference will you make by making things a little more difficult in your life by boycotting something of the norm. As you can see, it is making a difference. Our generation is saying enough is enough and actually putting in the work. I salute anyone who is able to do something like this. We must continue to rally and support those in these moments because encouragement is the best way to keep the movement going. No one else is going to tell them good job, so it is our duty to do so. Protests and boycotts have been proven effective in the past and it is time that our generation continues the legacy of our ancestors. We can not get too complacent in thinking that we cannot make a change when it has been proven that we can. Many times we do not see the positive results of protests due to the lack of media attention, but know that it is happening. There are strides being made to have a more racially justice world and it starts with moments like these.

For more on the Mizzou protest, you can read here http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/jonathan-butler-how-grad-students-hunger-strike-toppled-university-president-n460161

Photo credits: http://www.columbiamissourian.com and http://www.usatoday.com

Empire…Using it’s Platform or Making a Mockery of the Movement?

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So we all know, or should know, by now that Empire is our own little Black telenovela that comes on every Wednesday night. Because of this, we let the overly dramatic and loosely written scenes go over our heads and still become enthralled in the music and storyline of the show. For me, I see it as a form of self care. Something to watch that takes me away from the everyday headache of society. Everyone needs that mental release from the world and this is my little guilty pleasure. With that being said, Empire has a looooooooooottttttt of explaining to do with the recent “support” or acknowledgment of the “Black Lives Matter” movement.

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With the season opener, there is a huge concert with the hashtag #FreeLucious. This was strike one for me. Unless you have been under a rock, or stuck in some type of privilege and refuse to acknowledge the real issues of society, Black Lives Matter has been a movement that has been going on for some time now. It began over the countless killings of young black men at the hands of white cops. What started as hashtags turned into protests and rallys for these innocent bodies. Let me say that again, INNOCENT BODIES!! Empire…what? How are you going to have a protest reminiscent of the movement, but it is for a man who was clearly guilty??? This already shows the mockery because now it makes it seem like the work that people are doing to fight against innocent people being killed at random is a joke and they are really protesting against nothing. Oh wait…and let’s not forget Cookie coming out in a gorilla suit. (I don’t think there is an explanation needed for why that was wrong in so many ways. But hey, Fox is gonna Fox, right?)

Now, when I finished watching that episode I will say that I had to shake it off. They obviously were trying just a little hard and they did use their platform to bring some type of awareness. Also Jussie Smollett,(Jamal Lyon), is very active in the “Black Lives Matter” movement so they got a little bit of a pass. I needed this show to not turn into THAT show. I wanted to support my Black actors and actresses, but I needed them to stay aware of what they were putting out there. So, I’m watching last night and everything is going smooth. It’s the normal, all over the place, Lusious hates Andre because of his mental issues and the mental issues his mother has, Jamal just wants someone to love him so he can write his music, Cookie is being loud and crazy, we are great! Credits roll and I am able to keep Empire on my watchlist. And then it happens. They show scenes from the next episode and Cookie is put in the backseat of a car. “If I die in police custody, I did not commit suicide.”  giphy-facebook_s

“Nah…that didn’t just happen did it?” I asked invisible bae, who was just as dumbfounded as I was. Did they really just use a Sandra Bland reference…on this show…as a means to be funny? Now, once again for those privileged rock dwellers, Sandra Bland was a Black young lady who was wrongfully taken into police custody and found dead in her cell a few days later. Many people protested this event because they did not believe that it was a suicide and suspected foul play. From the dash cam of the police car, Bland was very adamant about fighting her case in court and did not seem at all like she was ready to go down without a fight. The phrase, “If I die in police custody, I did not commit suicide,” was something that was started after the death of Sandra Bland and a way to show a united stance with her and her family. This is something that has me very conflicted. There are several people who have been fighting hard…HARD…for our rights and for the world to see what is really happening when it come to police brutality against people of color. To throw it randomly in a scene with no real care, is just foolish. This is where I begin to lean more towards the mockery aspect with Empire. This is not like the time when Shonda did her “Mike Brown-esque” episode on Scandal. Shonda did an entire episode on the matter and in no way made fun of the movement. Scandal is not a comedic show and hence the appropriate platform for it. Empire is doing this all wrong. Everything that comes out of Cookie’s mouth is pretty much a joke, we love her for it, but still.

If you want to bring awareness, there are ways to do so without throwing jabs and random twitter sayings and hashtags around in every scene. Wear a “Black Lives Matter” shirt or throw a benefit concert for families affected by the police brutality, but don’t just give references out of the blue and say you are “bringing awareness.” No…you’re not. You are doing the complete opposite. You are turning this into a minstrel show and discrediting those who are out there every day fighting. Those who have actually been arrested for simply protesting, those who have been shot with rubber bullets, those who have been attacked with tear gas. You are dehumanizing people involved in the movement and making it look like they are all just foolish characters, fighting for something that isn’t a real cause. Fox…I mean I guess we should have expected this, but at what moment do we start holding our celebs accountable? You can’t tell me they read that and didn’t feel a certain way. And, honestly, if they did read it and thought it was okay…that’s a problem in itself. The same problem that we always have when it comes to our people on TV. I don’t want to see a shuck and jive show with pointless references. I want to see real acting. The show doesn’t have to say a thing about the movement at all if it cannot do it properly. Don’t think that just because you have a show full of Black people, you have to throw it in somehow, because you are doing more damage then you realize. All in all, Empire needs to get it together…QUICK…before next Wednesday it’s going to be a collective, “same phone…who dis?” from their biggest audience.

Photo credits: kontrolmag.com, sheknows.com, giphy.com

An Open Letter to the Citizens of Baltimore

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To the people of Baltimore,

When knowledge of Freddie Gray’s death, at the hands of Baltimore police hit the streets, YOU were there. YOU stood peacefully and protested against another one of our unarmed brothers being killed by law enforcement. YOU did not back down. YOU continued to fight against a system that has been set up to see us fail. When tensions rose, YOU were there. YOU fought against the silent voice that Blacks have in this world. YOU continued to hold your ground as they defamed you and called you “thugs.” With violence and death staring you in the face, as the National Guard stood their ground, it was YOU who would not back down. YOU refused to let this continue. YOU wanted the world to see the pain, the injustice. Too many lives have been lost for trivial matters, while others yet still breathe. YOU screamed out, “BLACK LIVES MATTER!”, through tear gas and a barrage of rubber bullets. It was YOU who put pressure on the system and ultimately, got these officers charged. Something that would not have happened if YOU were not there. Doing the footwork. Day in and day out. As a young Black woman, my heart swells with pride as I think about what has happened today. My people…my young Black people…YOU DID IT! YOU did not wait for the hierarchy of Black leaders to come and lead you. YOU lead yourselves. YOU organized with each other and stood together. This is what we need to continue to do. Everyone has a role they can play. YOU have shown others that the youth are not a bunch of mindless “thugs.” We are more than that. We are people who have been hurt, time and time again. To the rioters, even though no one else will say it, I thank you. Yes, violence is wrong. Yes, rioting is wrong. BUT, who am I to tell a victim how to react? Who am I to tell someone how to express their emotions? YOU have opened a door for discussion for the root of the problem. YOU have been peaceful and they still have killed us. YOU have been marching and bringing in new laws and they still use it against us. Body cams were a joke, a slap in the face. If there were no riots, there would be no attention. No one was there when YOU were protesting this peacefully. Rioting may be wrong, BUT I am more concerned with the action that caused the riots. I will not blame YOU for reacting to a horrible act. YOU elected a beautiful, strong, Black queen in a position to serve her people. YOU showed others how small elections matter. Today, was the beginning of justice. The fact that it is a shock that these officers are being arrested is the very reason why we must continue this movement. YOU have given us hope…the black community. Because of YOU and YOUR actions, the movement lives on. There is promise. From the bottom of my heart, I thank each and every person in Baltimore who did not give up when they said go home. Who did not stay inside because of a ridiculous curfew. Who did not become broken when they began to hurl rocks, but fought back. Who decided that this is the time for people to truly realize our lives matter. My people…my young Black people…I thank YOU!

Black Women Rock! The Faces Behind The Movement Stir Up Controversy at Washington Rally

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For over 120 days, there have been constant, daily protests starting from the city of Ferguson and abroad. Behind these protests have been members of the community and mainly the youth. These young organizers did not know where to begin but they knew that it had to happen because of the injustice that they felt in their city. They did not receive help, at first, they had each other and worked together to begin this mass movement that is known today. “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot,” was created by them. Yesterday, Al Sharpton put together a rally/march to try to bring the families of these victims together, in Washington D.C. During this rally, the youth organizers were not allowed to be on the stage or even speak. This soon turned into a problem as majority of their supporters demand that they allowed them to speak. In a whirlwind of emotion you can see, Netta and Erika Totten, two of the main organizers, demanding to be heard. They begin to shout, “Hands up, don’t shoot,” to symbolize that if it were not for them, this movement would not be where it is today. Donnie McClurken ignores them and begins to pray, but Netta and their supporters continue to chant. Now, while many see this as being disrespectful, I applaud these young sisters. You stand up for what you believe in, no matter what. If it were not for these woman gathering the youth and protesting EVERY DAY in Ferguson, no one would care about this movement. There would be no international protesting. There would be no Berkeley protest. Nothing. To deny these people and allow them to be apart of something that they initiated is a slap in the face. This is why so many young people deter the thoughts of protesting or trying to get involved. Older leaders do not know how to let that crown go. We appreciate you for what you have done but it is time to recognize that the youth are the new leaders. They have the ability to reach the masses that will actually listen and want to join this movement. Isn’t this all that matters? To see Al Sharpton’s daughter tweet about these two women as if they were being truly disruptive and disrespectful at her father’s march was appalling. It is not Al Sharpton’s march. I have nothing but love and respect for these women who have been through the trenches to stand up against injustice. They have been through it all and on their own. While the older generation might not respect them, we do. Our generation needs more Black people to stand up like these courageous women. I am so incredibly proud to see that Black women are behind all of this as they tend to make us seem like we are not worthy of this type of behavior in the media. We are not just sitting in the kitchen, cooking meals, we are actually out there putting in the work. I continue to support anyone who is for this cause, but I double support a Black woman. She is giving our younger girls something to look at. While we looked up to Angela Davis and Assata Shakur, these little girls can look and see these positive images of Netta and Erika Totten and countless others on TV and strive to be like them. To be able to stand for something and fight for your freedom. This is what matters. Not a rally chalked with a celebrity line up. But an actual cause that starts a revolution beyond belief.


Photo Credits: @theroot, @Nettaaaaaaaa, @2LiveUnchained