Introduction
In European countries such as Britain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and others, people of different races live together without segregation; there are no Afro-Belgians although around 4 percent of the population draws African roots. So how is it that in the USA, besides various civil rights movements throughout the decades, black people are still referred to as Afro-Americans, instead of just Americans?
It’s been six years since the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement has been established as an international organization with the aim to empower all those Black people who feel strangled under the oppression of the ruling establishment. Did six years of social activism change the course of American society, and if so – HOW?
Minneapolis after the murder of George Floyd
The BLM movement is fundamentally changing our worldview about the United States and its society. The social issue of BML has become the main problem this summer. Everybody wrote about it, all the major newspapers and magazines, as well as local, national and international tv stations. Also, many young people, including university students, joined this movement, and it may be that many of them wanted to write about these events in their essays. For that, you can read published black lives matter essays for hints on writing to fully reveal this problem. Although the following lines might help, too.
On June 7th, the Minneapolis City Council pledged to dismantle the city police department following the weeks of demonstrations initiated by the murder of George Floyd by members of the Minneapolis Police Department. According to the President of the Council, Lisa Bender, the citizens showed their discontent and complete absence of trust in MPD, which is the reason for the motion to disband the police force and form a new type of public safety service.
However, this move will not reach the ballots in November, which means this new kind of community protection is going to wait until at least 2021. This is due to the Charter Commission’s vote to postpone the ballot meeting for 90 days, which meant the Council couldn’t convene on time to set this initiate on the November 3rd poll. Even though, the actions of MPD were the initial cause for the BLM movement and the rest of the community to rise to one of the most violent waves of demonstrations in American history, the local government still managed to block the fundamental change in the sphere of public safety.
At the same time, Minneapolis Park Board, Public Schools, and the University of Minnesota decided to show their solidarity with the Black Lives Movement activist and supporters by ending their cooperation with the city police.
The changes in the rest of the USA
In New York, however, the New York Times reports that Mayor Bill de Blasio committed to cut the NYPD $6 billion budget by $1 billion and redirect these funds to other parts of civil service. In addition, the city government decided to cancel the hiring process of more than one thousand police officers as well as transfer the safety of public schools, homeless citizens, and the monitoring of illegal street vendors to other contractors.
Furthermore, the Mayor of the NYC announced the changes in the city’s legislature, specifically so-called Section 50-a, which means that the NYPD disciplinary records would no longer be confidential but open to the public. Moreover, the introduction of the “Eric Garner Anti-Chokehold Act” bans the use of a chokehold by police officers during an intervention. Those policemen that disrespect the Act are facing charges for the crime of aggravated strangulation.
Cities throughout the USA are enforcing police budget cuts along with numerous accompanying measures that restrict the authority of their respective police departments. In L.A. $250 million will be cut from the LAPD and invested in the development of Black communities. Louisville Metro Council voted “Breonna’s Law” that reduces the use of “no-knock warrants” only to those situations where there’s an imminent threat of harm or death.
Among the major social changes which resulted directly through the massification and radicalization of the BLM protests, is the removal of Confederate flags and monuments. In southern states like Kentucky, Alabama, and Philadelphia the statues of confederate soldiers are torn down, as well as the flags placed in public places.
Conclusion
While the oppressed minorities in the USA are still hoping and fighting for full appreciation of their claims, the shift of the discussion to the public arena is a major milestone. Also, the international public is now, more than ever, informed and engaged with the situation in the US with protests in support of the BLM raging throughout Europe and Canada.
Author Bio:
Jeremy Raynolds is a freelance content writer engaged with several online publishers and content writing services. His work is based on deep research and authentic information. As a writer, Jeremy tends to bring inspirational stories that raise interest and inform the readers.
