Due to the untimely and tragic deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, there has been more attention on race relations in this country, than it has been since the Civil Rights movement in the 50’s, 60’s and early 70’s. I am old enough to remember the atrocities the Black Race had to endure especially in the 60’s when we were fighting for equal rights. I was almost 12 years old when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated and I can recall the chaos that broke out in D.C. Chaos that we are still recuperating from to this very day.
We have made some advancements since those times, but not enough. It appears that to some, especially law enforcement, that Black Lives do not matter. I am not advocating that all law enforcement fall into this category, but enough do to warrant a change in this area. The difference between today and earlier times is the fact that almost everyone has a cell phone that is capable of taking videos. We have long argued that Black People are treated differently by law enforcement. Unfortunately, what happened to George Floyd did not surprise many of us, but what it did, more importantly, was to bring this to the attention of our white brothers and sisters, not only in this country, but also around the world.
It also has brought to the forefront the systemic racism that has existed in this country for centuries. This includes educational opportunities, job opportunities, housing opportunities, healthcare services, and basic humanitarian rights. The George Floyd murder has ignited a movement. A movement that includes all races and genders, all religions and beliefs, and people from all walks of life. I am not saying that this was not happening in the past, but this one seems a whole lot different.
