Originally published August 24, 2016
By: Juan R. Govea
The Black Lives Matter movement has been growing larger in its following. As more acts of police brutality on African Americans increases, the number of their participants seems to increase.
As for the unfortunate events in Dallas, TX where an armed gunman killed five police officers during a Black Lives Matter march, and also injuring several others who attended. The Black Lives Matter protests seem to not be retreating in their fight to end police brutality, and stand firm in their position to stop racial inequality.
Mothers Against Police Brutality gave a press release in response to the recent events in Dallas that stated remorse for the fallen officers, but also stated that their purpose and message will not falter.
“Our movement, in Dallas and nationally, will go forward. The struggle for justice, the struggle for Black lives, the struggle to end police brutality must continue and will continue. There is no turning back,” The press release states.
The organizations purpose is to, “unite and support mothers and families nationwide whose children have been stolen and who have suffered injustice at the hands of local police,” their website states.
Shortly after the Dallas shooting, Black Lives Matter held a peaceful protest at the Water Gardens in downtown Fort Worth. Attendees watched as several members spoke out, drawing attention with large signs that pleaded for resolution of social and racial inequality.
Dallas is third in the nation for police brutality with many of those police officers serving and protecting the streets of Dallas, Gary Stuard stated.
Stuard, an Activist for environmental/economic justice and organizer for Dallas MoveOn, attended and spoke during the protest in the Water Gardens.
“The Black Lives Matter movement is looking at institutional racism, neighborhoods have lack of funding, terrible schools, poor healthcare, poor roads and infrastructure,” he said. “Institutional racism is feeding the crisis of racism.”
Stuard participated in the protest because he is supportive of the movement and said that the African American community has had enough.
Black Lives Matter is a movement that broadens the conversation on state violence. According to the Black Lives Matter website the violence against black lives deprives African Americans the human right to dignity.
The website also states that Black Lives Matter is a chapter-based national organization working for the validity of Black life, while working to (re)build the Black liberation movement.
The Black Lives Matter movement will continue if there is no change to unjust racial issues Stuard said. Movements like this have not been seen since the late 1960’s where protesters marched for civil rights, he said. “For example the Voting Rights Act came unto be during the 1960’s, all the gains made during the 1960’s have been changed.”
#BlackLivesMatter was created in 2012 after Trayvon Martin’s murder, George Zimmerman, was acquitted for his crime. The website states, “Black Lives Matter is a unique contribution that goes beyond extrajudicial killings of Black people by police and vigilantes.”
For more information on Black Lives Matter visit: http://blacklivesmatter.com/
And for more information on Mothers Against Police Brutality visit: https://mothersagainstpolicebrutality.org/
