Black Lives Matter also known as BLM is an international activist movement campaign started in July 2013, originated by the African American communities to fight against brutal violence, racial injustice, police brutality etc. This indiscrimination majorly revolves around the inequality faced by the black people on the issues of racial profiling and aims at reducing the threat the black citizens face while dealing with the cops. The manifesto laws down six such demands to put an end to this misery and provide a safe and secure environment for these people. This manifesto is written down by Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi and they claim to be speaking on behalf of the African American community facing oppression due to their racial status. It was made as a response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman who was charged with shooting an African American teenager Trayvon Martin. The movement began in 2013 and took over social media by #BlackLivesMatter.
Till 2014, this movement gained worldwide recognition through its massive street demonstration and brutal killing of two African American citizen, Michael Brown and Eric Garner. In 2015, this movement saw numerous deaths of African American by the police officials which continued till 2017. A great number of high profiles shooting of black people was recorded during this period.
Iris Young in his context “Five Faces of Oppression” talks about oppression as a structured concept. Oppression is caused due to various customs, traditions, norms and symbols which are undeniable and not yet put to question. Injustice among groups, unconscious assumptions as well as reactions of people in their daily life interactions and exiting stereotypes are a few consequences these oppressed group face. He talks about exploitation, violence, marginalization, powerlessness and cultural imperialism. According to Iris Young, oppression is systematically reproduced in the economy, political and cultural institution and just cannot be eliminated by getting rid of rulers or by implementing new laws.
African Americans were freed from slavery in the year 1865 however they are not treated equally in many parts of the world till date. Slowly in the year 1950s and 1960s, they started demanding equal civil rights and thus became resilient. Thousands of blacks came together, engaged in various protest and started putting pressure on legislators to abolish the unfair racial discrimination.
Exploitation takes place when a person benefits from another person’s hard work, labour and sacrifice especially in terms of monetary factor.
Exploitation uses capitalism to the fullest in order for oppression to take place.
Capitalism induces wants in a person which can only be fulfilled by the rich and well-off people, those people who are unable to gain the benefits are the ones who get exploited. Exploitation broadens the gap between rich and poor and even between whites and blacks. Blacks are exploited by being made to do less desired jobs, they are made to perform cheap and free labor in order to boost the American economy. There is segregation in the society when it comes to the housing of the citizens as well as disparity in the education system are the most noticeable exploitation can we can see.
Marginalization is a form of exclusion based majorly upon a person’s race. It confines a group of people and display them as of low social value and often excluded from the superior class. In some institutions and structures like health care, workplace, housing, prison system, a very high rate of marginalization is seen. The African American are moreover struck with poverty and unemployment. Marginalization is also expressed as the most adverse form of oppression as it lays down the feeling of dependency. Everyone at one point of time has to depend on others, whether they are sick, old or depressed, such conditions can lead to injustice in the society. Powerlessness refers to lack of autonomy, status, prestige etc. suffered by a group and relates to the concept that makes the minority class feel dominated by the ruling class. It includes the lack of making decisions towards the society, being ill-treated, disrespected and exploited in various fields. This has resulted in division of labor as well as social division between people who plan to do and the ones who execute. Through the manifesto, BLM organization takes on this problem by emphasizing to provide full and free access for all black people, provide a guaranteed minimum livable income as well as reparation for the cultural and educational exploitation, erasure and extraction of the black community by giving facilities like mandate public school curriculum etc.
Violence is the most visible form of oppression. This approach not only inflicts damage to people or property but also induces a feeling of fear within the citizens. Police brutality against African American has always been a serious problem. This is based on growing evidences showing police officers are likely to arrest, harass and torture black citizens more than as compared to white. Large number of killing of black citizens is also a growing concern. Existence of violence and discriminations might be because of American’s history of slavery, racism, segregation. Cultural imperialism refers to extracting cultural norms from the ruling class and then establishing it on the minority class. Worldwide, the most common example of cultural imperialism is of sexuality and race. It takes place through the virtue of division of labor and power. This oppression sets a strong foundation of power few people have in relation to others, people who benefit from it and people who are used in this process. The manifesto mentions a section which includes putting an end to criminalization and dehumanization of black youth, scraping capital punishment as well as erasing past criminal history of these people.
“We demand an end to the war against Black people. Since this country’s inception there have been named and unnamed wars on our communities. We demand an end to the criminalization, incarceration, and killing of our people.” [pg. 3, BLM Manifesto]
BLM organization launched a plan named “Campaign Zero” which laid down the desired changes in the legal system that would help stop racial profiling and put an end to police brutality. The demands firstly call for putting an end to the war against black people. It includes removing the privatization of police to keep them under conduct. Demands for reparation of past and continuing harm is another such demand. BLM also demanded the government to increase investment in education, health and safety of black people. reallocation of funds from all levels of Government as well as decriminalizing the records of drug issues and prostitution. Concepts such as universal health care and disinvestment from industrial use of fossil fuel. With an aim to provide economic justice for all to ensure that black community avail collective ownership not just the access to use it, BLM demanded progressive taxation, protection for workers, providing them right to organize and financial support to institutions with black majority.
Just like any other movements, BLM is also posed to criticism. Critics accuse BLM of spreading ideas of being anti police and initiating race war. This movement has resulted in national rise of crime rates. There are also evidences showing a number of movements again violence within the black community. This evidence has given critics another argument stating black on black violence is due to the black race itself. It has also been noted that the BLM movement has divided people and exacerbated racial tensions. Critics have also claimed that BLM has sidelined black women from black men, police brutality as well as killing of black women is also fairly argued. This movement has emphasized to eliminate structured racism which has been followed through generations of inequality. Discriminatory treatment to blacks, unfair policies, unequal opportunities etc. have been evolved through centuries to give rise to this inequality.
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