Our forefathers and mothers have written the Constitution for us, and as our world and society changes, we should never forget what was written so long ago. “America is a family, and the whole family should be free”. This was stated in the scene when the all women council was meeting. I think that the meaning of this is that we have failed to abide by the Constitution, but it is not too late to change. We are all free in America, and we should always remember that.

    This video gives me a feeling of hope. I feel as though this video carries a message that we all need to hear. We all have our differences, and our different views and opinions, but we shouldn't let that build a burden on how our futures play out. We are all family, and we should all agree on brightening our future’s, not letting little differences among us stop us from shining.

We can all be great and do great things in life, but not if we are busy arguing and disagreeing and little matters. We are too busy dwelling on all of our mistakes, instead of learning from them to better not only ourselves, but our future generations.

            Okay, so the next point I want to talk about on the race and gender identity quiz is number 19, and it states,” if I am raped, no one will assume that "I should have known better" or suggest that my being raped had something to do with how I was dressed.” Rape is something that happens all the time around us, whether it be men or women. No one should ever have to feel like being raped was his or her fault. They should never be blamed for what happened to them. Rape happens on a daily all around us, and the best thing we can do if we know someone who has been raped is to offer them love, hope, and support. Let them know they are not alone. 

            The last and final point I want to acknowledge is, “My people resist change.” Now I’m not just talking about white people here. This applies to everyone in our country. As our world is changing, whether it be for the best or the worst, we have to just accept that as our country evolves and grows changes are going to come. We don’t always have to agree with the change but we can’t be blind to the fact that it is happening. The United States is an amazing country that everyone should get to experience. One of the big changes that is happening now is Immigration laws changing and what not. I’m not going to get into politics because we all have different views and that is absolutely okay. I personally believe that we should be accustom to people from all over making our country their home, as all they are looking for is a better place to live. What’s better than the land of the free.

            The first thing that really caught my eye about this movie was the role that women played in this movie. Usually you see women being saved in these kinds of movies, or somewhat of a sidekick. But women in this movie were important. They had a huge role that you don’t always see. Black Panther’s army was made up of all women. The other tribe that was a part of Wakanda had a whole army of men. I think that this really portrays that women can do anything men can do. I also liked the role that the Princess of Wakanda had. She was not too old, but not too young. Probably around all our ages. She is so smart and she knows so much about technology. They had resources that we didn’t have so they put them into use. I liked how they didn’t fight or go to war unless they absolutely had to. Instead, they used technology for medicine and transportation. 

            What I also really liked about this movie was the importance they put on ancestors. They made it known that we would not be here or have what we have if it wasn’t for our ancestors before us. They have built traditions and legacies that we can build from. The Prince of Wakanda always let it be known that their ancestors were their roots, their building ground. I liked the part after his first challenge with another tribe leader when Black Panther had to drink the water from the flower to gain his powers of Black Panther back. He saw his dad and he reassured him why he was such a good prince of Wakanda. 

            I saw an identity of pride throughout this movie with the people of Wakanda. They really took pride in their culture, their community, and their people. They cherished their land and what resources it provided for them. They had invented crazy good technology, but they did not abuse it. They used it to provide aid, and medicine, and transportation for their community. I liked how in the end of the movie they used their technology and resources to help bring communities together, and to bring aid to America. I also like how they made outstanding weapons, but they did not abuse them either, the princess of Wakanda and CIA agent Ross had to shoot them down. If they got to the united states, it would only cause trouble. The people of Wakanda took pride and loved their country, they all got along in the end. 

            

            There has been a lot of things that have happened to Patrisse at this point in the book. One of the biggest things I want to recognize is how she talked about her community and living in poverty, but was her neighborhood really bad if Sherman Oaks was less than a mile away? It was bad, but no one cared. There were police officers arresting Patrisse’s brother’s right in front of her for no reason, or if it was a reason police officers still abused young black men with vulgar language and sometimes even psychical abuse. When a white prestigious neighborhood is less than a mile away, you would think that these people living in poverty would be left alone from the police instead of being terrorized. These schools that all the Blacks attended, were basically described by Patrisse as “prisons”. They were highly patrolled by police an police dogs, when no crime was being partaken. Funny part is, less than a mile away in Sherman oaks, all the white kids are dealing drugs and using them, but they have no police watch force. 

            I also want to take a look at what Patrisse wrote about when it came to her father’s drug abuse and her brother Monte’s arrest. Her father had a drug abuse problem but was seen as nothing but a criminal. Her brother Monte was never given the proper medicine to help his mental illness. Police threw him around and didn’t treat him or evaluate him correctly. Patrisse also talked about being born a different color other than white, you were automatically assumed you were a gang member. She has written about her struggles that come with being an African American, and I cannot wait to read more. All of her struggles that I have read about so far are what helped shape Black Lives Matter, and some things she mentioned are sadly still happening in our own community to this day. I am excited to read part two so I can learn more and more about her struggles and how she overcame them. 

            The power of the justice system comes in to play through her description of how the police controlled her community through the eyes of her brother’s and friends.“For us, law enforcement had nothing to do with protecting and serving, but controlling and containing the movement of children who had been labeled super-predators simply by virtue of who they were born to and where they were born, not because they were actually doing anything predatory” (26). I couldn’t agree more with Patrisse with this quote that she mentioned on page 26. Now, whether or not police act according to this statement today can only be determined by your opinion, but this is how Patrisse felt. We have been introduced already to Monte, Patrisse’s brother who has a mental illness that is only looked at by authority as criminal activity. Monte would have out lashes where he would just yell and scream, but he would never hurt anyone. He was a young black man growing up in Van Nuys, California where young black men seemed to be always targeted by police. 

Patrisse’s father had a drug addiction problem, that was only seen by the justice system as fugitive behavior. “He thanks us for not throwing him away, for staying by his side when he went to prison, which is how our society responded to his drug use” (38).  Whether or not it was justified or not, it not only took a toll on her father and his family, but also on Patrisse. She finally got to learn who her dad was, and he was in and out of jail for drugs, should he have been put in rehab instead? Absolutely.  

Patrisse was a very strong woman growing up. I can tell from the way she talks, and her struggles she portrays throughout her book. “There were no Gay Straight Alliances, no LGBTQ groups, no counselors trained to guide us through our particular struggles, which often included being kicked out of our home” (75).  Patrisse began finding herself throughout middle school and high school. She told us that it was not easy being who you were in your neighborhood, you were looked at differently. 

Of course, there were many other examples of pain and power throughout Patrisse’s journey, and I also can’t wait to read about the ending of her journey of finding herself and making a difference. 

Family struggle is something we all experience in our lives. You could feel left out of your family, or not wanted. That isn’t necessarily true though, everyone has bad days and you should want to go home and tell your family all about your bad day so that they can help make it better. Going through family struggle, or any kind if struggle can make you a stronger person.   Sherman Alexie experienced family struggle almost his whole life. We can relate to him through his stories of family struggle. The quote I picked was from his story, “Forty Knives”. “My mother was a liar. She broke many promises over the coming decades. But she kept that greatest of vows. She was sober for the rest of her life. And that’s why I am still alive” (19). None of our families are perfect. Parents are people who make mistakes. You trust in your parents and family to always watch out for you. Some of us may not have the best relationship with our mother, but she is the reason we are here. What Sherman Alexie meant by this quote I think was that he didn’t expect her to stop drinking, but when she realized she needed to stop and consider putting her children before herself. That was a bad habit she had and she got rid of it for her kids, so they wouldn’t have to see her like that anymore. This quote connects to the theme of family struggle because even though Alexie, his mother, father, and siblings all went through different situations on the Reservation, he awards his mother for his existence today. We all have different relationships with our mother’s, but I think we can all relate back to the fact that she brought us into this world, and she will always love you unconditionally, even if she is not physically or emotionally there. What this story and example say about society is that sometimes we go through struggle, in fact almost everyone does. But we have to see the bigger picture sometimes. It’s good to forgive and forget and to always be grateful for what you have because someone always has worse. Throughout Alexie’s stories, he incorporates his family. In the story Revision, his mother mentions how a lot of women and men have been raped by people on their own reservation, including her. This plays into struggle, because this can break down families, or make them stronger. His mother mentioned how your accuser may be your neighbor. However, another form of family struggle can be recognized in the story, “Good Girls Marry Doctors”. “Fast forward a decade, I am a college student, and my father is trying to persuade me not to go into English, but medicine. I am outraged” (58). As you are growing up, your parents might try to push you on a path that you may not be all that interested in. Your parents only want the best for you, but it may lead to you bringing yourself down because of all the stress it is putting on you. I know it is hard to decide what you want to do in life, but maybe take into consideration that your parents do know you the best. 

Striving for acceptance can be a hard thing to be going through. You may feel alone or left out from your group of friends, or your family. But just know we are all different and it’s okay to be different, that is the best thing about all of us having personalities. Someone will cherish your differentness and value you as their friend. You just have to be around the right people. In the story, “Operation Make My Family Normal”, “As much as I hated to admit it, my parents were right. This American holiday thing was not as perfect as I thought it would be” (185). Not everyone’s holidays are traditional and similar. Everyone cooks different foods and has different customs they acquire to on holidays. The author is trying to accustom to American lifestyle. She is Indian, and for Thanksgiving they have prepare different dishes than most of us. She realized that she you don’t always have to do the same things as everyone to be quote on quote “normal”. We live in a society today where we welcome and acknowledge the different traditions that people may bring into the United States. What this says about society is that society tends to set an example up of how we should live. For example, for Thanksgiving’s you usually have turkey and stuffing. But if you are from a different culture or race, you might celebrate with different foods and maybe even on a different day and that’s okay too. Exclusion can come in all different forms. Exclusion from your own blood can really affect your actions when it comes to how you treat your family. The movie Black Panther can fit in this theme. Erik Killmonger was the one that got left behind. He was excluded from their family. He wanted revenge on his own people for what they had done. But, not everyone saw him as a bad person, he was just a guy who felt excluded from his family, he felt abandonment. Towards the end he realized that their country was amazing, and his family wasn’t so bad after all. 

 

We all feel lonely here and there, but how do you think someone who has been raped defines loneliness? As more people are experiencing loneliness through rape, it is becoming more and more common. Rape is way too common in our culture today, but during Sherman Alexie’s childhood, it happened on the daily also. “Rape was common on my reservation. But it was rarely discussed. And even more rarely prosecuted. In that way, my reservation is sadly like the rest of the world.” I personally feel as though rape is the same today as Sherman Alexie described it. Rape is so common, and some survivors never come forward about what happened to them. They may feel alone or know their attacker. You should never feel alone if you have been through something so extreme. There are support groups and therapist’s always available. You are never alone. Throughout Sherman’s stories, he mentions rape being somewhat normal on his reservation. When he found out his mom was rape he was surprised. But after years go by, and he finds out more and more about his family he realizes rape is normal. I’m sure the people on the reservation that had been raped felt lonely. Reservations were usually small, so you would be exposed to family members of your rapist, and also most likely know your rapist. Therefore, these people would have to reserve themselves to the fact that they had been raped acknowledging the fact that you might know their family members. What this says about society is that we need to realize that rape is a common thing that usually goes unnoticed, which can even cause mental illness such as depression. We have to let survivors of rape that they are not alone and should never have to feel that way. Rape was ongoing on the Reservation’s, and still is today. No means no. Next, I will be talking about “What it Means To Be White” by Robin DiAngelo. “Regardless of our protestations that these groups don’t matter and we see everyone the same, we know that to be a man as defined by dominant culture is a different experience than to be a woman, to be old is different than to be young, to be rich is different than to be poor, to be able bodied is different than to have a disability, to be gay is different than to be heterosexual, and so on” (36). We live in a world where you have to be normal to “fit in”. I disagree with that. Being different is the best to be in such a world filled with hate. There has been way to many bad thigs happening to our world these past couple of months, but it is necessary to never forget what makes you, you. It is okay to be a minority, go out and show them that you are no different than everyone else; we are all one. We tend to focus on the norms of everyone, and not realizing that all of their unique attributes are what make them so amazing. 

            In conclusion, everyone classifies themselves with different themes. Through short stories, talks, and books, we can find our inner selves. Identifying yourself can be a difficult task, but just know there are other people like you out there and they are going through the same things that we all do. I mentioned just three themes: family struggle, striving for acceptance, and loneliness, but there are plenty of other themes I could have chosen. The ones I did chose though, really make up who I am. It was easy to pick themes and identity them with the stories I chose because of how easily I could relate to the stories and the authors. Identifying yourself can be a struggle of emotions, but don’t stress. How you identify yourself will come along the way and path of life.

Family was very important to Patrisse; she looked up to her two older brothers and soon to follow her father. Patrisse grew up surrounded by her siblings and her mother. Patrisse rarely ever saw her mother growing up, she worked day and night to provide for her family. Patrisse and her siblings didn’t mind, they admired their mother’s dedication and drive to put a roof over their heads. Patrisse did not grow up knowing her real father. One day, her mother decides to tell Patrisse about her father. Patrisse is a little nervous at first, but she decides to meet him and falls in love with the presence and love of Gabriel. Gabriel and Patrisse’s relationship is pure love. Gabriel has a drug addiction and is often in and out of Patrisse’s life, but often “he thanks us for not throwing him away, for staying by his side when he went to prison, which is how our society responded to his drug use” (38). Patrisse’s brother Monte has a mental illness that is completely disregarded by the justice system. Monte and Gabriel’s drug addiction and mental illness is nothing but pain on Patrisse. It is painful to watch her father float in and out of jail all because he has a drug problem. It is painful for Patrisse and her family to try and inform police and security guards in the prison Monte is being kept in that he has a mental illness. It seems like no one cares about his well-being. He has mood swings and outbursts that is why he was in prison to begin with. Paul, one of Patrisse’s brother’s is her and her sibling’s primary caretaker since her mother Cherice is always working. Paul and Monte are Patrisse’s only two brothers and they are in and out of jail Patrisse’s whole childhood, and some of her adulthood, and she states, “a generation of human beings, Black women, Black children, and Black men, including my father and eventually my brother, who are viewed as having no other meaningful role in our nation except as prisoners” (44). Are the communities we live in and where we live a reason that black men are being interrogated by the police daily? 

            Community plays a role in Patrisse’s upbringing, it is where she becomes aware of what really goes down in the alleyways her brothers are always hanging around in. Patrisse grows up in a section 8 neighborhood. The police control the neighborhood and all the black men in it “it’s hard for me to think of a boy in my neighborhood who didn’t spend time in juvenile hall or wasn’t arrested at least once” (58). Was police patrol necessary in Patrisse’s neighborhood when more crime was happening less than a mile away in a white neighborhood?  Patrisse stated in the book that less than a mile away in Sherman Oaks, an all-white school was having more crime than in her very own neighborhood. Police were patrolling Patrisse’s neighborhood looking for crime or just to arrest young black men to start the list of unnecessary charges. Young black men are an easy target because they are growing up in poverty infested neighborhoods so when in jail they cannot pay their bail. For example, as mentioned before, her brother Monte is an example of this. Patrisse and her siblings grew up in a poverty infested neighborhood, where police patrol was more than normal. Should poverty infested neighborhood be patrolled by police or counselors and community activists that are jumping to help? Communities need to be brought up by city councils “they show us every time we drive through one of our neighborhoods that has no safe places for kids or grocery stores” (148). They meaning the people who actually have the power to make a difference but they don’t use it in the right ways. We have the power. If we unite as one to help make a difference in broken neighborhoods, instead of police patrolling them a difference can be made. Society just doesn’t care enough that almost all poverty infested neighborhoods are made up of African Americans. A lot of them are struggling and may even be like Monte or Gabriel and have an illness that is keeping them in the streets. What if centers were built in every bad neighborhood in our cities, maybe crime would go down. Maybe police brutality would go down. Maybe lives would be saved. Maybe Black hate would end. 

            Patrisse talks about dozens of police brutality deaths against Blacks. Deaths that were wrong, and deaths that were never given justice. With that being said, “in the state of California a human being is killed by a police officer roughly every 72 hours” (186). Patrisse used examples of wrongful deaths of Black Americans that were done by police officers, “the killer cop, Thomas Shea, who was acquitted, simply offered as his defense that he didn’t see anything except the child’s color” (185). Why is it our instinct to believe that Black lives really don’t matter? That exact quote from page 185 says it all. The officer killed an innocent black man all because of his color. Do Black lives matter? Of course. Is there still racism in our country? Absolutely. There are good police officers and like people, there are also bad police officers. 

Patrisse participated in many campaigns and protests in order to stop police brutality amongst Blacks. We can all stand up for what we believe in, but that doesn’t always mean there will be change. Patrisse and her siblings and all the other young Black children around her growing up all witnessed police brutality, some of us might have even witnessed it. It still happens today. For example, recently in the news two young Black males were waiting for their friend in Starbucks. They were just sitting there, didn’t buy anything like the rest of us normally do. All of a sudden police officers were trying to escort the two black men out; they were confused as to why, when they had done nothing wrong. By-standers were wondering the same as the two men; why were the being asked to leave? The answer is simple. Racism. Patrisse writes about racism all throughout her book. Whether it be racism within communities, police, people, the justice system. Racism was and still is everywhere, for example, “over an 8-year period, the killer made more than 45 unsubstantiated calls to the Sanford, Florida, police department about people he termed as “suspicious black males”” (168). That was said by the man who killed innocent Trayvon Martin who was walking with his hood up with an Arizona iced tea, skittles for his sister, while consoling a girl on the phone who was being bullied. Trayvon was trying to help her; then he was shot. So basically, Black men all over the world are being killed because they look “suspicious”. Recently, my boyfriend and his friend (who are both Black) were walking into their friends fenced in yard. They always go through the side door because their friend always keeps it open for them. After my boyfriend and his friend walk into the yard, close the gate, and are in their friend’s house alongside their other two friends, all they hear is, “Baltimore County Police come out with your hands up”. Of course, they are all confused as to what is happening since they did nothing wrong. They comply, and after they are outside and ask the police what is going on, they get an answer. Someone called the police on my boyfriend and his friend because they “hopped the fence” and were trying to “break in”. So, since my boyfriend and his friend did not do any of that, were the police called because two Black men were walking into the yard of a predominately white neighborhood? More than likely the answer is yes. Discrimination is everywhere. Wrongful deaths of Black Americans not only are committed by police, it happens by people. People who obviously don’t have any love in their hearts for their brothers and sisters of a different color. 

In the midst of growing up surrounded by police brutality, Patrisse also had to deal with the pain and power that comes with being “queer”. Patrisse grew up finding herself. She found herself through her friends, and her father. She learnt that it was okay to be queer, or to be bi-sexual, or to be anything you want. It isn’t about what you are, it is about who you are. Patrisse truly felt accepted when she started organizing Black Lives Matter. Some of her fellow organizers were queer, but you know what they accomplished? A lot. Since Black Lives Matter was born, Patrisse and her organizers “have done some incredible work. We have built a decentralized movement that encourages and supports local leaders to name and claim the work that is needed in order to make their communities more just” (249). Patrisse shows us by her incredible bravery that it doesn’t matter what or how you identify yourself as or with. If you have a goal to change our hateful world, you can do anything you set your mind to. 

In conclusion, there will always be hate and injustice in our world. We can stay in tune with Black Lives Matter, continue to support the movement to save our young Black future. Black Americans are being called “terrorist’s” due to their minority; but are they really a minority? Innocent, young, and smart people are losing their lives every single second of the day because of unlawful, and unjust police officers. Black Lives Matter brings hope and prosperity to our beautiful, young Black future. 

 

        Now, let’s take a look at the role of Black Lives Matter on Twitter. The tragic events of Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014 had the nation abuzz, with much of the conversation taking place on social media. Michael Brown’s death reignited support for the Black Lives Matter movement and prompted many to use social media to debate the role of policing and the state of race relations in the United States. In the aftermath of Ferguson, national attention turned to the killings of other Black boys and men, such as Eric Garner in Staten Island, New York. Some argued that the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner were a race issue, others argued that their deaths had nothing to do with race and that the police were the ‘‘real’’ victims. This is what started the Black Lives Matter hashtag on Twitter. The picture below shows a community coming together fighting for the lives taken too early; these people in this picture don’t see color, or gender, they see equality. Debates that erupted on Twitter represent a larger struggle for power over the discourse on race and racism across the nation. Twitter is used as a resource for people to speak their minds after protests, and after riots, and after lives are lost. In an article written by Nikita Carney she talks about how being a queer Black woman in the midst of Twitter hashtags has influenced her view on the use of twitter and the Black Lives Matter hashtag; she states, “As a queer, Black woman who was actively involved in protests and debates on social media in the wake of the non-indictment of officers in the killings of Michael Brown and Eric Garner, while I did not directly engage in conversations on Twitter I chose to use Twitter as a source of data for this project because of the public nature of many Twitter posts and the prolific engagement of users, including youth of color” (Carney, N. 2016, 189). 

            A growing number of Black Lives Matter activists have been refocusing attention on how police brutality impacts black women and others on the margins of today’s national conversation about race, such as poor, elderly, gay, and trans people. Black Lives Matter is youthful, though it has reenergized older activists who are eager to connect with a new generation of organizers to ensure that our future generations don’t have to deal with the police brutality of Blacks. The Black Lives Matter movement was built upon equality and opportunity, and It arises from an organic black protest tradition, while drawing impassioned participants of all colors. Its leadership departs sharply from the model of the singular, charismatic clergyman or politician. Founded by black women, two of whom are queer, the movement has galvanized an array of activists in multiple communities. Few are full-time organizers, though many have had encounters with racialized policing or otherwise are personally affected by mass incarceration. With the help of twitter, Black Lives Matter activists can reach the eyes of people through their tweets. They do this when they organize protests and it is a good source to reach people’s attention. 

On twitter, you can say about anything that comes to your mind. So, since the history of the Black Lives Matter hashtag has been dealt with, lets take a look at some tweets. Majority of Black Lives Matter tweets with the hashtag have to do with the fight for justice of those lost in the arms of fire. Twitter and the Black Lives Matter hashtag have been able to speak their voices, but there is another aspect of the Black Lives Matter hashtag on Twitter that has not been mentioned; celebrities.

Now in this tweet you can see Zayn tweeting about Black Lives Matter, without the hashtag. From following protests and knowing a lot of factual information about this movement, he may be right but that doesn’t change the fact that police brutality does play a role in why Black Lives Matter protests happen. This just goes to show that while Twitter may be a popular site to say your opinion on Black Lives Matter, but its not a place to get hard, factual information from unless you are following the right sources. The right sources may include governors or Black Lives Matter activists, hey even some celebrities who do know what they are talking about. For example, the tweet below shows Lady Gaga who has millions of followers tweeting out for help using the Black Lives Matter hashtag. 

The next image you will see is one of my favorites. These people below are just like us; people. They don’t care about what color the person next to them is. They are fighting for the equality and the safety of our Black communities. As you can see, there are not just Black people in this picture, there are white people and there are more than likely more races, genders, and cultures standing behind them. They are holding a sign with the Black Lives Matter hashtag. Not only does this hashtag show up on Twitter, it shows up on signs, pictures, you name it. The sign is black and white, which makes it seem as though we are one. It doesn’t matter what color you are, everyone can fight for the right of equality and safety.

            In conclusion, not only did Twitter create the Black Lives Matter hashtag they help get its voice out there. No matter what your opinion or view of Black Lives Matter is, the truth is that it is happening. Whether you have followed the hashtag from its birthplace, or you are just now learning about it, my hopes are that this hashtag stays in place. It lets young people who are affected by police brutality or unjust systems have a voice. The Black Lives Matter hashtag and the influence of the broader Black Lives Matter movement accelerated greatly in August 2014 when Michael Brown, a black teenager, was fatally shot by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri.