Stay Woke: The Black Lives Matter Movement documentary (2016) 

            In the popular culture aspect, if you can’t already tell—most black musicians are either rappers or R&B singers. One thing that I have noticed is that they never get rewarded for their work in the music industries. There have been some great black albums over the years but it seems that it is never enough for the voters of the Grammy Award Ceremonies. I think that can tie into possessive investment in whiteness or white privilege. I remember a time when Taylor Swift won Album of The Year in 2009 over Beyoncé. Fans did not quite agree with that decision and neither did Kanye West as he politely interrupted Swift’s acceptance speech to praise Beyoncé as the true winner. Drama like this has been happening for years. 
[Word Count: 410]

Media:
TikTok video of comparing black households and a video of Kanye West interrupting Taylor Swift at the Grammy's.

https://vm.tiktok.com/KYPjvV/

https://youtu.be/1z8gCZ7zpsQ

This term interests me because it reminds me how complex issues of racism and xenophobia are. While individuals belonging to non-white racial/ethnic groups may possess legal citizenship, this does not guarantee a sense of belonging in American society. I connected this term to the current issue of xenophobia and racism towards Asian Americans. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increase in hate crimes against this community because the first case of the virus emerged in China. There is a long history of non-white groups in the United States being blamed for and associated with disease. This recent increase in anti-Asian sentiment reveals the hostility that still exists against non-white groups. While non-white groups may possess tangible rights through the law, they are still often the target of discrimination and prejudice. The consequences of such bias may be detrimental to the health of the Asian community. If Asian Americans perceive that they may be discriminated against, they may be less likely to seek testing or treatment (Illing, 2020).

I think that recognizing the spread of anti-Asian racism during this time is an important first step for this community to demand fair treatment. There must be efforts to combat inaccurate portrayals of Asian Americans that associate this group with infectious disease long after the end of the pandemic (273 words).
 
I used information from this article: https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2020/3/4/21157825/coronavirus-pandemic-xenophobia-racism

Media:

 

In connecting assimilation to education, topics like assimilation, genocides of people of color, and a lot of the history that negatively impacted ethnic groups are not taught in middle school or even high school. Grade schools focus on Christopher Columbus, they sugar coat topics like segregation and slavery, they just don’t give the entire picture. It wasn’t until I took a history class at this university that focused on race that I learned about assimilation and the atrocities that have been committed all in the name of the nation. It was a really eye-opening class, and I wish grade schools would incorporate and teach these topics to the younger generations so they could be more aware and respectful members of society. (339 words)

Media: A TED Talk of a woman from Venezuela who speaks about being different and how it influenced her life.  

The #BlackLivesMatter movement is a growing horizontal coalition in the United States focused on ending racism and violence against African Americans by our criminal justice system. Social media has been the main platform for this movement, as members share stories about our criminal justice system’s history of racial prejudice, show video evidence of police brutality today, and organize protests and fundraisers fighting for the cause. Anyone, no matter what their identity, can share these posts on social media. Though a white person will never experience the oppression they are fighting against, them bringing exposure to this issue by a simple retweet is an exercise of their privilege that will help change the norm. As with any horizontal coalition, you don’t have to be black to say that black lives matter. A tweet yesterday, which already has nearly half a million likes, proves this: “i’m not black, but i see you. i’m not black, but i hear you. i’m not black, but i mourn with you. i’m not black, but i will fight for you.” Widespread exposure and a fundamental understanding of what this tweet means will build the empathy and accountability necessary to change the harmful norm of police brutality against African Americans. (327 words)

From the southeast Asian women’s experiences, we learned that intersecting oppressions, like being Southeast Asian and female, cannot be resolved easily. The intersections eventually end up with contradictions and dilemmas, especially those related to labor. 

I personally connected to this passage, because it reminded me of all the times I felt life as a female and a Korean is challenging. When I first attended American elementary school, I was one of the smartest and fastest at math calculations. As a result, many of my classmates admired me and complimented me. As I went through middle and high schools, I realized that my male friends did not want a smart girl by their side, they wanted air-headed and flattering girls. Once, I was in a study group for SAT, and the boys in the group always looked offended when I solved my math problems faster than they did. If someone was to compliment me for doing so, they would just want to move on. But when they finish before I do, they would make it such a big deal and cheer for themselves. I wondered why they behave so strangely, and I realized that it was because I am a girl. Because when another boy finishes before them, they do not really react negatively. As a Korean, my family has high expectations for me, so I just wanted to do my best for school and seem ‘smart’, but boys saw that as ‘unattractive’ or even offensive. (371)

Media: 

As a Micronesian, I am part of a minority group and I have experienced and observed the mistreatment of minorities. I will share my experience with discrimination. One day my mother and I walked into a dress shop and after being in the store for a while, I noticed that everyone else but my mother and I were approached and being assisted, so I told my mom, “Do these people think we can’t afford anything in here or is it because we’re brown.” My mom thought I was being funny and she laughed, but I really was speaking out of frustration. 

I appreciate the issues and terms that we have learned in class because they make so much sense as I am able to relate them to what I have observed and experienced. (292)

Attached is a podcast talking about racism and chronic stress, related to the “Lifelong Minority Status" discussion.

This is a link to the Brotherhood initiative website. The BI is a UW program that aims to close the graduation gap between men of color and the rest of the UW population. We do not learn about the systems that contribute to our population’s disproportionately low graduation rate, but are rather taught the skills and given the resources to overcome them. However, it is an academic program that is enabling us to learn about these systems within higher education so that we may utilize this knowledge for our own benefit or the benefit of others. 

           First we should identify what culture is. Culture is, according to Cornel West, a site of valuation, a site of power (ideology). Is a site of inequalities of consciousness and criticism Perspective). And lastly, it is a site of change, history demystification, reconstruction and representation (aims). But BLACK culture is a form of art. It is a style in the subject, music and the deep structure of culture (not writings). The body is the canvas of representation. We’ve learned in class and throughout history that sometimes Black people aren’t left with much except their imagination, but that imagination has been given so much power in America. Black culture has this power because it is the site of recognition and empowerment (Kamahele). Many people strip pieces of our culture and try to rename it as their own without recognizing that it has been stolen, and not so much appreciated in honor of the Black culture. If cultures are about identities, and culture is a site of power then identity can also be a site of power. I know for me coming to terms with my Black identity/culture was hard. I think most Black people go through this phase of trying to find out how they want to move through this world, and how they want to be perceived. It wasn’t until later in my life when I figured out that Black people are just as diverse in identity/culture aspects as we are when it comes to hairstyles. There are Black people in this world who don’t feel the need to conform to any sort of rules and live how they want to without any judgement to others or themselves. We have people that listen to Tupac, and people that have never heard of him. People who watch anime, and the ones that watch L&HH. We have afropunk and G. Herbo concerts, there is a wide range of people that make our culture so unique. I am finding out that I wouldn’t typically fit in with what society has conformed for Black people. But I could if I wanted to, I am able to code switch in my own community which I used to think was a burden, but now I see is a skill that I have naturally acquired. Even then I know that just because society doesn’t think I fit into the box, doesn’t mean I know that my Black skin, music, hair and culture is beautiful regardless. (411) 

Media: 

When we look at the screenshots its obvious that UW’s acceptance team do hold a bias for Asian students. While looking at their “diversity roadmap” there is no where that addresses the issue with the large gap between Asian American enrollment and other people of color enrollment. This makes me believe that they see no issue with this and rather proclaims they have done a great job at making the student body “diverse” in terms of ethnicity. What’s infuriating is that they tokenize these students who are underrepresented in their pamphlets and website to proclaim how diverse they are.

 

The media I wanted to share are these screen caps that I found as well as how a pie chart I made to physically see how much of a gap there is between the different people of color. 
(300)

The purported goals of the first module of study within American Ethnic Studies 151 was to understand the connections between culture and identity as established via (and defined by) the works of Kaplan and Hall, and the four scholars: Marx (contextual identity), Saussure (lingual understanding) , Freud (the undefinable unconscious), and Nietzsche/ Foucault (socially constructed, power-wielding regimes of truths). In what followed, topics of social mobility, privilege and education introduced new, and yet, simultaneously interconnected and compounding theories of group identity (voluntary or assumed), chronic stress, and intersections that built upon earlier ideas. Throughout the quarter, the theme which anchored these ideas was conflict, both in the process and the results of an identification that was originally “identified” by Kaplan but which was explicitly outlined by W.E.B. Dubois’s Double Consciousness and cautioned against by ideas of chronic stress in minorities (specifically, as discussed in class, people of color).

 Carla Kaplan’s “Identity” defined the term as, ironically, both an immutable aspect of one’s character and a necessarily compromised (because of societal pressures) component that results, inevitably, in the formation of political groups that encourage singular identity and violence. Indeed, it appears as though identity is not, as she claims, “an unending... process of becoming,” but rather a bureaucratically overseen means of selection of those who exist as they are supposed to rather than as they are. The conflict introduced here is evident, but vague, as merely an introduction, perhaps, to the manyl regimes of truth that exist on the subject. More than simply a tool, though, for homogenization of the masses via selective recognition by powerful figures in the face of its presumed existence within (and supposed immunity to impurification), Identity is a multifaceted source of struggle within an individual (not explicitly, but, indeed, inherently inspired by society) over conflicting categories of difference. This understanding was introduced by W.E.B. Dubois, who called this notion of multitudinous struggles in a single entity Double Consciousness. Certainly, it builds upon Kaplan’s work by understanding that identities are mutable, because, according to Dubois, the idea is inspired by the attempt of individuals (specifically, African Americans) to compromise between being Black and being American, an apparently difficult task that would be impossible without the idea that identity is subject to change. It is also, similarly, a struggle that is based on acceptance based on appearance. It is enough, here, to be recognized as one thing instead of another (discrimination is not necessary) to inspire contradiction. 

Whether or not these conflicts are more destructive than those of forced group participation is rather unclear, but the theories involved are more obvious: Group Theory (advanced by Ronald Takaki), the idea that success is based on the identification of an individual with a specific group (it is not difficult to imagine the effects of being identified as Black instead of American); Intersections (Mcintosh), which simply describes the reality that multiple categories of difference can exist in an individual at one time (the foundation of Dubois's work); and, perhaps most importantly, the idea of chronic stress. Chronic stress describes the lifetime health effects that result from the acute identification by others (and the specific treatment conferred as a result) of an individual with a particular group. The effects range from depression to early labor that results in underweight children, and I argue that these effects can exist outside of institutional America. I argue that it is enough for an individual to be treated differently because of a particular identification, that workplace discrimination and public violence is not necessary, to inspire chronic stress and pain in an individual. I argue these things because I experience them myself. 

Throughout the class discussions, I have described the struggles I have encountered  in regards to my mixed race, being black when it is inconvenient to others (like the “increased likelihood I have to get into college”), but white all other times. As I look in the mirror, I consider what my own identity is. Am I American? Yes. Am I a dedicated, first-generation college student? Yes. But all of these things can be confirmed undeniably with documentation, transcripts, etc. But am I black? Am I white? In the past, I have consistently checked one box: African American. But if someone were to see me would they agree? Historically, the answer to this question has been no. Perhaps, they are not sure what I am, but they are often 100% sure that I am NOT African American. The problem is when I look to the African American community for recognition and confirmation and they, too, reject my claim. So, I have to compromise my own identity, not for political reasons as suggested by Kaplan, but, nevertheless, the integrity of my African American identity is shattered, forcing me to accept that I am “white.” But I am not white, at least, not culturally, which, according to Hall is all that really matters. So, I am not black to any except myself (and my family, of course), but I am not white either. What is the result of this conflict? Double Consciousness and chronic stress, a constant struggle to accept myself as black when I am seen as white and accepting that, genetically, and certainly, somewhat culturally, I am white when I see myself as black.  (881 words)

Media: 
Who I am and what I feel.

Through rap lyrics, you hear about violence between African Americans emerging from gangbanging and territorial ownership within the Black community. From places such as Los Angeles, New York, Miami to name a few. The song “Hit ‘Em Up” by 2Pac released in 1996 is an example of bloods versus crips, west coast versus east coast beef. 

            “Any of you niggas from New York that wanna bring it, bring it!... We gon’ kill all you motherfuckers!”

Some believe that this led to the murders of the rappers Notorious B.I.G and 2Pac. 

You also hear about the thoughts of an individual after hearing about someone is trying to kill them because of their recent money and fame. These lyrics come from Notorious B.I.G song “Warning” dating back to 1994.

“Touch my cheddar (money), feel my Baretta/Buck, what I’mma hit you with you motherfuckers better duck/I bring pain, bloodstains on what remains”

In the black community it is hard to make it out of poverty, as it seems there are always obstacles that are put in front of us causing us to start at the beginning. That is why people in the Black community revert to selling drugs and other illegal activities because they trying to find ways to make ends meet and provide for themselves and their families. 

            There are positives that come with talking about violence in the Hip-Hop/Rap genre. For example, police brutality and injustices in the judicial system in regard to Black men and women across the country. These lyrics come from the now passed Nipsey Hussle in the song “50 N****z” releasing in 2014

            “It’s legal to kill black people… It’s legal to kill unarmed black people/That’s fucked up”

            “One shot got life, Zimmerman got acquitted”

            “Wonder why we never have faith in the system/Look at young niggas like a waste of existence”

We hear the similar thing being said by 2Pac back in 1991 in song “Trapped” 

            “Can barely walk the city streets/Without a cop harassing me, searching me/Then asking my identity/Hands up, throw me up against the wall”

The Hip-Hop/Rap genre has made an enormous impact in the lives of the Black community. It gives everyone with who is Black man or women the ability to speak out and to relate to the times that were happening then and that are happening now.
(511 words)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41qC3w3UUkU

            

Ghane Buze

PIW, coined by Lipsitz is basically with being white comes privileges, and advantages. White people benefit from being white, since the day they were born, they were given white privilege. It can be subtle, and it can be loud. And when I mean loud what better example then groups of white people rioting in Michigan ARMED, and untouched. ARMED, AND UNTOUCHED, because they don’t like being quarantined for their safety. Black people, or any minorities could NEVER. Because like Lipsitz says public policy and private prejudice coincide to create this possessive investment in whiteness. It is society which has given white people this power. At this event and other protests in the US there were not only weapons, but hateful confederate flags being waved, and  Trump plastered all over. Meanwhile while people in Minneapolis are rioting for another murder by an officer. Trump the same person many white supremist support is tweeting how this will lead to military coming in and shooting. These people are rioting because their voices were not heard and that officer was not arrested, but after guess what? The officer was arrested. This is real, and if you are black like me, have black friends, family, or whatever, this is a battle we must all fight together. So when I post on my social media asking my white friends to stand up, and say something its because you have the power and more safety to do so. Its because if you love us, you will fight for us. Its because sometimes silence does more harm then not.

Stolen from Twitter, a picture from Michigan with armed WHITE men protesting  for opening up the state. Did they get met with any violence?
...
no
(wc:299)

This discussion especially resonated with me because I am a first generation American. My parents did their best to assimilate to American culture because they believed it would benefit my sister and I, but I wish they had passed on more of their culture to my sister and I. Therefore, I really appreciate the perspective of Flores who believes that multiculturalism is something to be embraced. (Word Count: 381)

I think this resonated with me so much because with everything going on right now, I really hate when I hear arguments of why white lives matter. To be honest, that’s honestly another part of their privilege. They can just sit here and make it seem like they have a lot of stuff happening to them when most people are the ones causing all of the stuff happening right now. #Blacklivesmatter was our privilege that white people should not be able to take from us. It was started because we spoke up about the injustices and the killings of black bodies in our world by WHITE police. It just astonishes me that people really can say that what happens to black people happens to everyone because simply it doesn’t. But white people get the privilege to counteract our movement, and also get acquitted and no repercussions for their actions. To combat PIW you should really say something and educate people that say some stupid stuff relating to their power/ privilege. (314)

It is in the interest of white people to constantly maintain this structured advantage, as they only remain in power when subjugating non-whites. This is shown clearly through police brutality, as the system is created in such a way that police presence, and therefore the likelihood of interaction, is dramatically increased in neighborhoods that are overwhelmingly POC. The police in it of itself maintains white supremacy. There is a long history, within the United States, of law enforcement being made up of white supremacists, or those that sympathize with their case. police presence, and the use of extreme force, maintain racial and class boundaries. Through this, it is clear to see the constitutive nature of whiteness and policing, which has led to the current dynamic between most specifically black people and the police force. The ability of the police force to covertly exert and maintain white supremacy indicates the degree to which the possessive investment in whiteness is maintained through social, structural, and cultural relations. The police force is reliant on hegemonic whiteness in order to divide and conquer, and their power structures are contingent on tense relations between various groups of color. Essentially, this requires that these groups compete for the approval of whites, and by doing this inherently at the expense of other groups. (287 words)

 

My identity as a Mexican American woman pursuing higher education means that I have to juggle growing up in a country that was not made for women to succeed, much less women of color. I also have to navigate through the system of higher education which comes with greater difficulty as a first-generation student. However, I still recognize that some of my identities come with specific privileges that allow me to talk about other issues and be an ally to others with identities that are different from mine. Through coalitions such as the Black Lives Matter movement, I use my identity as a non-black woman to listen to black folk and help bring attention to social justice. (373)
I linked a Ted talk which discusses intersectionality and why it's needed.

 

Link to a podcast called Code Switch that talks about race and how it impacts society:

Media:

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/racism-not-lack-assimilation-real-problem-facing-latinos-america-n974021 

https://newstaco.com/2017/11/13/new-poll-reveals-one-three-latinos-faced-discrimination-u-s/ 

CW/TW: anti-Blackness, racialized violence, police brutality

During week three, the class was introduced to the term possessive investment in whiteness (PIW) which is “an organizing principle that benefits those who profess to whiteness as a form of property through the use of systemic and institutional structures (Lipsitz, 1995).” Coined by George Lipsitz, PIW is essential to discuss how racism and other systems of oppression operate. One institution in particular in which PIW is perpetuated through is the police. As an institution founded upon colonialism and the enslavement of Black folx, the police have time and time again served for those who profess to whiteness especially at the expense of Black and Brown communities. Recently, Amy Cooper--a white woman--called the police on Christian Cooper. Amy, following a pattern of white people calling the police on Black folx doing nothing, expected a scenario where the fears of white people are valued over Black lives. Victims of police brutality such as George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Tony McDade also demonstrate the effects of PIW and continued institutionalized violence of police. In Floyd’s case, an Asian American officer was directly complicit, demonstrating that people of color can also participate in PIW--not totally dissimilar to Akai Gurley and officer Peter Liang. As an Asian American, this reminds me of our positionality and the need to hold ourselves and others accountable especially because of the prevalence of anti-Blackness and the belief of the model minority myth within our community. In the case of Liang, Chinese Americans claimed Liang was a scapegoat after their conviction instead of acknowledging their racism and standing in solidarity with Black folx. (264)

As a half-Filipino individual, this video initially made me upset because I felt that he was attacking my personal experience and twisting it to be something else. Out of my mom’s family, she is the only one to immigrate to the U.S. She knows that she is in a position to give back to her family back home. All my life, she has taught me that it’s important to be generous and help those that are less fortunate than you. Sending money and goods back to your family isn’t something that keeps Filipinos in poverty; it’s a sign of love and upliftment. When I go to the Philippines I am always happy to see the old shipping boxes that we had once filled with clothes and food to be shared with them. (263)

Attached is a photo of my cousins and I from when I visited the Philippines in 2017.

The possessive investment in whiteness is a theory created by sociologist George Lipsitz, which argues that, though racism is baked into the foundations of this country, during the 1950s and 60s a different type of racism — less obvious than the type that led to chattel slavery and Jim Crow, but just as harmful — created structural and institutional barriers to prevent all people of color, but specifically black people, from achieving social mobility. Lipsitz specifically points to urban housing renewal projects, which destroyed cheap, inner-city housing without replacing those living spaces, loans that discriminated against black people, and a feeling amongst white America that upon the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, it had atoned for its mistreatment of black people since the first slaves had arrived in Jamestown. Lipsitz also sights poor living conditions in black communities, job vulnerability due to seniority, and other policies implemented by both liberals and conservatives that have institutionally hurt black people. He discusses the impact of seemingly race-neutral policies, like tax reductions for the rich and how they impact black people who often make up the working class, but most of all, the important thing is that the possessive investment in whiteness isn’t clear at first glance. Lipsitz says that because of its almost subconscious nature, white people can avoid looking at the bigger structural issues in society, and can instead focus on individuals. In his opinion, the only way to fight this issue is to create a pan-ethnic, social movement that is dedicated to eradicating and explicitly acknowledges white structures of power.

This has been clearly demonstrated recently in the killing and subsequent protests following the death of George Floyd. A black man in Minneapolis, Minnesota, he was choked to death by a police officer, sparking protests and riots across the country. However, his death, which was widely shared on social media after it was recorded by a bystander on a phone camera, has prompted many to look at the history of the police, the institution it represents, how it confronts the black community, and it’s history. Many have pointed out that early versions of police groups in the south were the slave catchers, who’s entire purpose was to restore a slave owner’s supposed property to them. This is an institution that at its root, has been created to keep black people subservient to the greater culture, it has a possessive investment in whiteness. 

Media:

In week three of this quarter we were all introduced to many important topics that contributed to the greater discussion of this class of Ethnic Studies. One in particular that stood out to me was the idea of a “culture of poverty” coined by Oscar Lewis. A “culture of poverty” is the idea that behaviors of groups of people cause them to be poor and that no structural barriers are at play. We were presented an example of this concept in a video where a musical artist attempts to explain why “Filipinx people don’t get rich” by claiming that Filipinx culture promotes children giving back to their families too much. 

            This idea of a “culture of poverty” I believe is outdated and not entirely correct. We learned in lecture that Oscar Lewis claimed that cultures of poverty were mainly perpetuated by behaviors such as “women led households”, women giving birth too young, bad childhoods, among others. While I do believe that behavior is a huge factor in determining success, some of the criticisms of Oscar Lewis don’t seem to be entirely true as there are many anecdotal cases of people beating these odds.

            Today, culture of poverty is an important topic due to there being an increasing disparity between wealth of minority groups and the top 1%. There is still a great deal of debate whether or not culture influences things like wealth, violence, and decision making throughout ones life. When it comes to the economic debate there is a split between many American’s on whether we should adopt a more socialist economic structure or impose more capitalistic values than we already have. Personally I believe that culture is a factor in the chance of whether someone will be successful but certainly not the only one. Whatever your opinion on the economic debate of capitalism vs socialism is, I encourage you to look into it for yourself and form your own opinion.

https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/immigration/reports/2010/09/01/8385/assimilation-today/ 

From personal experience, I too practice intersectionality. I am a queer woman of color and it is hard to separate those identities because they all cross and have an effect on my life and how I am perceived. I go out in public and constantly think about my multiple identities. When I am out with my partner and people stare at us, I am thinking is it because we’re both queer, women, or people of color? All of those identities shape a person and their experience in life and politics and it is difficult to separate them. I was diagnosed with a chronic mental illness about 6 years ago, which I also consider to be an identity. On top of being a queer woman of color, I also have to be mindful of my disability as it affects how I interact with people and also impacts my work. All of my intersecting identities cannot be separated from each other and it affects my politics and experiences in the world. I am an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, women’s rights, anti-racism, and disability rights due to my intersecting identities. 

This is a TED talk on Intersectionality that I've watched a few years back for one of my other classes and it had made such a huge impact on me to this day.

Intersecting privileges is looking at how multiple identities/identity categories contribute to your privilege. However, for Black women, they have intersecting disadvantages that contribute to their discrimination. If you think about the image of a crossroads, where one side is racism the other is sexism, where those two lines meet symbolize the discrimination against Black women It’s not one or the other but a combination of the two. “Misogynoir” refers to anti-black racist misogyny that black women experience. The term was coined by queer black feminist, Moya Bailey and black activist Trudy. Misogynoir describes the anti-Black racist misogyny that Black women experience. We deal with the same discrimination based on gender, but on top of that, we must deal with the injustices of racism.

“It is not surprising that misogynoir would be enacted against the Black women who brought the word to public acclaim but it is nonetheless troubling”. Misogynoir would be used against the Black women who founded it in order to attack their intelligence and credibility. The typical depiction of feminism in America often overlooks the struggles of African-American women. Gender justice is acknowledging the different privileges of white women, women of color, and black women. Woods African American girls who stand up for themselves are quick to be labeled as “angry” or a “bitch”. We are exposed to more criticism simply for speaking our mind, I alongside other black girls have learned to censor myself in particular situations so we’re not seen as a threat.

We can relate this back to the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Most people don’t know this movement was founded by women. A lot of the news and media coverage focus on Black male deaths and female victims of Police murder often get pushed to the background. Black women are constantly fighting racial justice but rarely get the same support in return. However, there is some progress being made because #BreonnaTaylor is being remembered alongside #AhmaudArbery and #GeorgeFloyd.

Structural social and economic injustice continues to exist today. This past week, the deep-rooted narrative in our country that dehumanizes Black Americans in order to justify their oppression to uphold capitalism, in combination with a militarized police force that feels invincible knowing they have the support of a neoliberal government, has again resulted in the murder of a Black American by police officers and a militarized response to those pushing back. If this cycle is to end, radical structural changes must be made against capitalism, imperialism, neoliberalism, and racism. 

Due to the history of structural economic advantage to those identified as White or non-black POC, I believe it is the duty of those amongst them/us that want to make change to contribute financially to the cause. I have identified one organization that fights for community solutions to protect people not profit and defund the police below.