Voting was not an option for African Americans until decades after the constitution was ratified. While the constitution gave them freedom, equality, and civil rights, it did not protect them from being viewed as second class citizens and from being treated unfairly. Even to this day, they are still discriminated against and treated/thought of poorly, not only by some people but also by some of the authority figures. If we use our first amendment rights, I believe that we can start a change in how oppressed minorities are treated by everyone. More awareness has been brought to this issue because of marches and protests that people are holding almost weekly. Day by day we see more and more videos of young black people being shot by cops while they are unarmed and defenseless. Michael Brown died on August 9, 2014. “Brown was an unarmed black teenager shot by Darren Wilson, a white police officer on the street Ferguson, …show more content…
You get to witness the raw emotions of the witness at that moment and how her life changed for the better and for the worse afterward. The main character goes through finding herself and what she believes in, but she also receives guidance from her parents, family, and community. In response to the death of the victim, the community assembled to protest the police and to fight for justice for the kid. “Keep your hands visible. Don’t make any sudden moves. Only speak when they speak to you.”( ). “I knew it must’ve been serious. Daddy has the biggest mouth of anybody I know, and if he said to be quiet, I needed to be quite”( ). This part of the book really shows you how feared the police are in the black community when they shouldn’t be. The police are there for protection and security, not to cause fear in the people. They have also broken the trust of the people and created tension between the community and the