On March 3rd, 1991 Rodney King, an African-American resident of Los Angeles, was publicly beaten by four white police officers. He was stunned (stun gun), beat (with batons), and kicked numerous times. How do we know this happened? During the beating, a bystander had videotaped the entire altercation. Fourteen months later, the verdict was announced. The four police officers were found not guilty. (Singelman et al. 1997). Many people will never be able to understand what it feels like to be a minority within society, and every race will experience injustice in different forms. In the African American community, someone is 46.6% more likely to be stopped by, or watched closely by Police, whereas 9.6% of whites will encounter this issue (Brunson, …show more content…
Some individuals say that African Americans are making an unnecessary disturbance. Moreover, that they should be happy with the way in which they live now. So, is there too much ‘noise’ coming from the BLM movement? Many individuals have attempted to counter the BLM movement with hashtags such as #AllLivesMatter. Hashtags such as these make a mockery of what the #BlackLivesMatter movement stands for (Payne 2015). Just as the Age of Enlightenment took place (Post-Napoleonic Empire), I consider our present generation to be entering another era that’s very similar. The Age of Enlightenment aimed for Political and Economic Liberalism, the creation of a new middle class, increased literacy, and the Popularization of Science (Lecture, Public Communication and Private Individuals). In comparison, the BLM movement strives for both Political and Economic justice for African Americans. It also aspires for black people to be given the same opportunities as any other individual (education, workplace, and sports). The purpose of the BLM movement is to create awareness and to enlighten the society in which we live. To enlighten those who are ignorant to the injustices committed against the African American community. Moreover, to help these individuals understand that black people are not just ‘making noise.’ Rather, they can no longer stay quiet when several of their brothers, sisters, moms, and dads are being murdered in cold blood. Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, and Walter Scott, are just a few of the hundreds of unarmed African Americans that have been unjustly murdered by Police Officials. “There are black males that have completely eliminated the hoodie from their wardrobe. Some tape their car registration to the dashboard of their car to avoid reaching over to the glove compartment. Some choose to avoid walking around late at night, or have completely