The Burgeoning of BLM
By: Arnav Patel
The Black Lives Matter movement has been around for years, but the strides that supporters of the movement took in the past year have propelled it to the farthest reaches of the world. Sometimes, it is good to take a step back and see the tangible changes brought about by such a cause. Reform is occurring, and the combat against racial disparity in American society reflects the collective efforts of racial activists everywhere.
Education is a hot-button topic as it is always subject to revision or improvement. The nationwide curriculum has changed this past year in terms of its content and how it is taught. In terms of the BLM movement, the curriculum matches the recent understanding that individuals’ upbringings should be equally respected. To give an example of a change, envision the Civil War, a major conflict that further shaped this country. Most people equate studying the two sides of the Civil War (Union and Confederacy) with being the only important, objective way to study this time period, but other groups of people existed. Native Americans and Black Americans were equally prevalent groups that were part of the entire population, and these specific people withstood various struggles while being caught in the middle of a war.
Skipping a few centuries to the present day, the BLM movement is driving importance into all of the overlooked history of African Americans. The National School Board Association, as its name suggests, advises school curricula all over the nation. During the summer of 2020, the association received several requests from varying school districts on how to racially diversify their students’ education. There was not a lack of Black history in the education system, but the way it was taught obscured its significance in the name of general education. Equity and inclusivity are now being thoroughly considered in the facet of schooling, and people’s persistent involvement in the BLM movement is the driving force behind this.
Education is only a small part of the whole picture. A lot more has been accomplished from the start of BLM protests in early May of last year. After the death of George Floyd and other Black Americans, whether their cases were publicized or not, politicians initiated police reform. Different states have taken drastic measures to ensure the safety of their civilians from the jurisdiction of the police. For example, in California, state prosecutors worked to ban campaigns for district attorneys from accepting money from police unions. In a letter written by a coalition of district attorneys, San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin stated that “the financial and political support of these unions should not be allowed to influence that decision making.” The “decision making” being reffered to is the numerous scheduled court cases dealing with police brutality in the San Francisco area. These attorneys consider ethics unlike other attorneys who accept donations from the local police unions. This specific case directly intertwines with the workings of BLM and justice by creating policies that help courts fairly prosecute the defendants.
History is also revisited and reassessed by people in the present time. Confederate statues and monuments were always a heavily debated topic, but a stance was taken to remove their presence from American societies. Standing outside of City Hall after the removal of a Confederate statue in his town, Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said, “The Confederate monument is gone, and the others in this city will be removed as well,” which set a precedent for other states as well. A holiday was also newly recognized as a federal holiday starting this year. Juneteenth marks the day that all African Americans in every state of the United States were officially free from slavery. Although the Emancipation Proclamation was released in 1863, it took almost two years for that message to reach the bordering states. Similarly, even though slavery was abolished after the end of the Civil War, racism still remains, which is the root of most of the support for the BLM protests now.
In reality, the wick of change has been lit, and the flame is moving toward the base of the firecracker, where it will erupt in an explosion of righteousness and equality. The journey to get to this point in history has been grueling, but it is not over yet. The BLM movement is a cause that has gained significant traction because of the people involved. It can only grow when the number of people supporting its ideas grows. It is a cause that one’s neighbors, siblings, relatives and friends may be a part of, and it shows no signs of ceasing.