Police Brutality: The Black Lives Matter Movement

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Police brutality, especially against African-Americans, has a long, dirty history in America. It’s a recurring problem that has never seemed to cease, and its occurrence and effects on society are often brushed off by those it does not affect. Police brutality continues to have a major effect on our society and through a series of events, leads to several outcomes. For instance, one of the major reactions and results of police brutality is the creation of social movements that are used to both protest and bring attention to the racial profiling and the unnecessary, violent tactics that police often use against African-Americans under the guise of keeping people safe. Social movements have always existed, especially in response to the corruption …show more content…
Through this solidarity, communities of Black Americans are able to together to protest the injustice that has been brought to their community, and through this unity, believe that change will come. These movements, such as Black Lives Matter Movement or the use of the slogan ‘Hands Up Don’t Shoot’; a reference to the murder of the late Michael Brown, a young black teen, by police, amplify the voices of thousands of African Americans and allow their messages to be spread and heard across the globe. Consequently, these messages begin to gain more and more attention from both the media and the general public, with the result being that more people have begun listening to what Black Americans are trying to say about the mistreatment, violence, and racial profiling they endure from those who are said to be there to protect …show more content…
Overwhelmed and disheartened by the mass loss of life their community continues to experience at the hands of police brutality, social movements result in Black Americans using their grief as a motivation tool to call for police reform and help lessen the ever-growing number of police brutality victims. By joining a movement and protesting as a community, Black Americans are able to relate to each other through their own experiences and sadness, allowing them to mourn as community with a strong support system, rather than just as an individual. In conclusion, social movements play a key role in calling for police reform. Through these movements, Black Americans are able to find solidarity within and outside of their communities, and show the world that they have a voice and refuse to stay silent on police brutality. The killing of African-Americans by police continues to affect citizens every day, and out of grief, anger, and exhaustion, Black American communities have created a series of social movements, such as the highly publicized Black Lives Matter, as a direct response to the violence aimed at their communities by law enforcement