We need to drive this momentum into change

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It’s like telling a mother to calm down after telling her something terrible happened to her child. It’s like saying to someone how or for how long they should mourn after suffering a loss. Black people have experienced hundreds of years of oppression, they are angry, saddened, and merely tired. I will not tell them how to protest nor how to feel.

Nor would I assume that looters and protestors are the same people. Besides these three sentences, this is the only time I will mention looters because there’s a particular type of people that use it to insinuate blacks as the only looters, and we go down the same rabbit hole we are trying to come out off. Which is stopping the narratives that blacks are a threat, thugs, criminals.

Differing Views

There seem to be unique views on protests. Some are pro, and others are against it, others want a type of protest that doesn’t cause any damages. The more I research, see my small town protest, watch a big city protest, and talk to people about their views; I have run out of fingers at how varied our opinions are. I noted that, while our views on the how differ, people understand the protest’s message: Stop unjust brutalization of black people.

A family doesn’t agree on everything, and it is safe to say that a race, community, or country will not wholly agree either. While we don’t agree on the method, I hope we can all agree on the necessity of these protests and acknowledge they are an essential catalyst for change. This is a change that is not only beneficial for the African American community but all.

The Protests are Necessary

Part of the country — the part the brutalization does not affect — is finally awakening and becoming uncomfortable with the truths that have been laid right in front of their nose. This change is necessary for them because, at least, it will chip away at the ignorance and apathy they once held. The part of the country stomping and moving and holding up #blacklivesmatter signs have been shouting ‘I told you so’ for quite some time to those who are just now becoming awoke.

It’s kind of like an invisible rule that only a few could read. “… and justice for all. (but not blacks).” It’s that bit in parentheses that only a minor part of the population could understand, while the other part seemed to have been illiterate or, at the very least, unable to read in braille.

The protests are essential, but not a long-term solution. However, taking advantage of the catalyst and momentum, and demanding new legislation, laws, and voting in representatives that will genuinely serve ALL, not just a few, is a long-term solution.

Demanding a Change Through Legislation

I say voting in representation that cares because the US has a history of contradictory laws and practices. Although the country eradicated slavery and gave blacks the right to vote when blacks went to the voting booths, clerks there intimidated and threatened them, or they trashed their vote. While they were free by law, the country erected so many roadblocks it was as if they were never free. So a change of legislation is a must, but voting for a public servant that has the community’s and it’s citizens’ best interest at heart is crucial.

While I will not tell protestors how to protest, I will say that now is the time to become active, in our local government, and all elections, not just the presidential one. To call our congresswoman/man, sign petitions and let those laws come from the people: the oppressed people. We’ve been allowing our public servants to sit comfortably in their chairs and lead while sitting down and pointing their fingers. If we want to see the change, not only do we need to be the change, but we also need to drive the change. If we stop protesting without passing legislation and pushing for a change, did we reach the goal?