On July 11, just days after the gruesome murders of Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, and a plethora of other victims whose cases did not garner the same media attention, in addition to the police shooting in Dallas, Texas, all took America by storm, seemingly one right after the other, Black Lives Matter held a rally in Stamford, Connecticut, directly in front of the Stamford Government Center. While Black Lives Matter is a cause I vehemently support because I believe in equality and the fair treatment of every race in America, and even though I've wanted to attend a rally or march for some time now in order to show my solidarity, the media's presentation of Black Lives Matter did not escape the back of my mind on the car ride to Stamford.
Those who only watch, read, or listen to mainstream media (whether it has a conservative or liberal bias) have been instilled with an image of violence, hatred, and cruelty when it comes to a movement that is in reality, quite peaceful. Many people are quick to jump on the bandwagon that lumps Black Lives Matter into a "terrorist organization" (i.e. the petition that recently circulated the Internet whose supporters wanted the organization to officially be termed a terrorist group, which would put it in a classification similar to ISIS, while the KKK is a legal hate group in the United States). However, as most people have come to universally accept, mainstream media does not always tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, that we as viewers, readers, and listeners would ideally want from our news. That is why before we are so quick to judge; we need to experience something for ourselves. Thus, instead of listening to the media's violent narrative of Black Lives Matter, I researched it myself, learned what its core values and ideologies really were, and attended a rally all in the name of solidarity.
When I arrived at the rally with a former friend from high school and her family, I was surrounded by a sea of people of all ages, colors and genders who just looked tired. They looked tired and worn down, but did not let their inner flame of passion completely die out. For, the world had been dark in the days prior, but there is power in solidarity. There were multiple speakers at the event who spoke on coming together as a nation in order to combat racial divide. No one incited violence, no one condoned the killing of police officers. Everyone was just grieving for their community, for their loved ones, and for their country.
One speaker in particular asked the crowd to take the hands of the people next to them, and when he started to pray, tears filled my eyes. We prayed for the victims' families and friends, including those of the Dallas police officers. We prayed that there would be healing in this country for racial divide, so men, women, and children of all ages and colors would be equal and there would not be an overwhelming sense of tension and strife between people of various races. At this rally, I felt nothing but overwhelming peace and passion because no one there had a biased agenda. As a group, our only wish was for the violence and hatred in our nation to come to an end.
That same night, the Stamford city council was to vote on whether or not body cameras should be issued for police officers, so in the midst of the rally, protesters went to the fourth floor of the government building to sit in on the vote. Every Black Lives Matter supporter present peacefully and calmly sat in on the meeting, wearing Black Lives Matter t-shirts or holding up signs in order to put some pressure on the council members. Everyone cooperated with law enforcement and government officials. In fact, the only "violent" aspect about the entire rally was the thunderous applause that erupted after the majority of city council voted in favor of installing body cameras on police officers. I will never forget the look on everyone's faces (aside from the council members) because every tired, worn down countenance ruptured into an unbreakable grin because for once during that gruesome week, we all felt a small surge of hope return to our spirits.
I have never experienced an event more unifying, peaceful, and impacting than that Black Lives Matter rally. When groups of people come together for one worthy cause, there is no telling the change they can affect. Hope was restored and change was made in one little corner of the United States. Therefore, I urge everyone to get out of their comfort zones and truly experience something before judging it based on what the media, or anyone else for that matter, says. The only way one can truly know something is to experience it for him- or herself. Read Black Lives Matter's website and see what the organization stands for first-hand, rather than receive biased information from news sources or the masses. Its only goal is to promote equality; not violence. Do some research, attend a rally or march; don't just believe everything you read or hear.
