In recent years, there have been calls for a national discussion about race and racism, prompted by everything from police-involved shootings of African Americans to the lack of diversity in Oscar nominations to Beyoncé’s Super Bowl half-time show. On Feb 7, she performed her brand new song “Formation,” which references the “Black Lives Matter” campaign as well as gives a tribute to the Black Panthers with similar looking costumes. She received major criticism from many media outlets, a major one being FOX News. One of the most noted was from former New York City mayor, Rudy Giuliani. Giuliani, who said her performance was an attack on the police officers who protect her every day. Like many, he feels that because she is someone of standing and fame, she is heavily dependent on the police to keep her safe and therefore should not be turning her back on them.
The “Black Lives Matter” campaign rides heavily on the issues of police brutality and the shooting of harmless African American people just because of the color of their skin. Much of their fight is to defeat racist ideals within law enforcement and
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Big national stories often spark conversation but there is a version of that big national story probably going on near you. But time and again, those conversations in day-to-day life can be awkward and uncomfortable. Rinku Sen, president and executive director of Race Forward: The Center for Racial Justice Innovation and publisher of news site Colorlines, says that sometimes the best way to begin a conversation about race is by asking lots of questions. I must admit that asking questions rather than making assertions has helped me to understand why someone held certain beliefs or opinions. In addition to that, I’ve found that sharing personal stories about life experiences can also reveal