Dear Reader,
For African Americans, 2016 has been an absolute nightmare. This year we have lost so many innocent lives, among those lives were mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters. The Black Community mourns the victims Trayvon Martin, Sandra Bland, Alton Sterling, Phillando Castille and the many others who have lost their lives because of racial violence.
And in response, the Black Community starts to protest and raise awareness of those murders and the terrors we go through, and you have the audacity to question why my people protest. In my opinion, they protest because there is a desperate need for change.
First and foremost, they protest to get the point across that BLACK LIVES MATTER! Black lives matter because African Americans are outwardly getting targeted by police and it feels as if every day a black person has been killed by the police. Blacks should not have to fear an encounter with the police and they should trust someone who is supposedly here to serve and protect them. But apparently, that is not the case! Also, Black lives matter because many black lives are ending way too soon and there should be someone here to raise our sons and daughters,and we have to save our people.
There is a need to protest because change does not happen in a day. And it is up to the Black Community to say there is a problem and a solution is needed. Our people before us protested and got change, and there is no reason why we should not do the same. And, with good leadership, African Americans can eventually obtain a better tomorrow! And hopefully, eliminate racism or at least decrease it.
I understand that some protest and demonstrations have gone too far recently because unfortunately that some protesters want the police to die instead and that they get rowdy and cause a path of destruction, I believe that is horrible is only escalating the violence and giving the Black Lives Matter movement a horrible image. But, the Black Community does not want to kill the police, but we want them to stop killing us.
In no way am I here to bash police officers so, I want to say thank all police officers who believe that their only duty is to do nothing but serve and protect! Thank them for their willingness to help others effortlessly. And, I am sorry for some the officers that create a bad image for the rest.
I may not have changed your opinion, but I leave you with one last thing. African Americans are going through a long-going battle against racism, but with the help and grace of God, he will help us win the war.
Hoping for a change,
Brittany S. Wright
