As I think we all know, in the past couple of weeks, our world has been shaken due to the murder of George Floyd. The aftermath of his wrongful murder has sent the world and the media into a frenzy. All of the U.S., protests have been held to honor his name and showcase the Black Lives Matter movement. These protests have brought the much-needed media coverage and the attention and love from our nation's hearts and minds. However, the nation's reaction to the topic of racism has been extremely upsetting and disgusting in many ways. There should be no debate, no hesitation about the topic. Black Lives Matter. This is not a political issue, this is a human rights issue. Black people have been repressed since this nation was founded, and it is absolutely appalling that this is still an issue in 2020. It is time for a change, and I truly hope and believe that the much-needed change will currently be achieved. For it is past time and is absolutely vital for every single person to feel the love, value, respect, and appreciation that they deserve.

There is no switch to cure racism and the issues that run rampant in our country and others. Every single person needs to make those changes in their minds, their hearts, their homes, and their communities. We need to change ourselves, challenge our loved ones, and genuinely make the difference. In the current weeks, people have been handling this all in different ways. People have been making donations, sharing necessary information, having tough, but necessary discussions, attending protests, and most importantly educating themselves and others. Social media is obviously one of the most powerful tools for anything in the modern-day, and this has definitely shown true during these times. For the past week, all that has been shared were links to fundraisers and petitions, powerful words, speeches and photos. This has been great in educating us and spreading knowledge. However, your efforts must extend far beyond social media. You posted a black square, that's great. But have you been donating or making a conscious effort to educate yourself and others? Social Media is the tip of the humungous iceberg that we need to dedicate ourselves to. As I start to see social media returning to its previous state of "normalcy" I wonder if the same people posting insta-stories will make the changes in their lives. Or will they forget all about it, only remembering when taking a peek into their archives? I truly hope that we all do not let this movement falter and that we keep this matter pressed firmly in our hearts and on our minds.