The Charleston Massacre

The Speaker Series events, “The Charleston Massacre and the History of Racial Violence in America: A Panel Discussion,” “Capitalism vs. Reality,” “The Importance of Non-Violent Protests to Oppose Racial Injustice in Ferguson,” and “MARCH: The Struggle for Racial Equality and Social Justice 1965/2015” detailed the history of racial and economic discrimination against minorities, while also, noting the need and importance of citizens supporting social movements that aim to establish social equality. The Speaker Series events stressed the importance of minorities overcoming adversity and establishing safe spaces within their communities and societies, as a whole, where they can not only prosper, but also contribute to and better society. Each lecture stressed the need for engaged citizenship in order to promote social awareness and change. Furthermore, the lectures ensured that those attending

Cha-Jua also stressed the importance of African Americans making themselves aware of racial hostility. Dr. Cha-Jua detailed “fronts” that contribute to racial hostility and oppression of African Americans: the “marginalization of blacks from the labor force,” “nullification of hard-won civil rights,” “anti-black terrorism,” and race-based mass incarceration (Cha-Jua, 9/8/2015). These factors are noted to stem the systematic war on blacks. A war that originates from the white community (Cha-Jua, 9/9/2015). In my opinion, dissonance between the white and black communities was never resolved. Instead, slavery and Jim Crow laws evolved into numerous “fronts” that further contribute to racial hostility. The oppression of minorities is often portrayed as less oppressive than it is by non-minorities or trivial. A solution to the lack of acknowledgment of the marginalization of minorities is engaged citizenship and maintaining a sense of personal responsibility. Individuals can accomplish this by becoming allies with pro-black social movements, like the Black Lives Matter