YOU! HAVE THE POWER | Dr. Ellen Brown

Black Lives Matter

BY DR. ELLEN BROWN

As a political movement, Black Lives Matter has permeated the 2021 political stage and its impact is a definite source of action. Increasingly — in the U.S and around the world — people are taking a closer look at the politics surrounding the growing number of deaths among Black people

Black Lives Matter became a movement in 2013 following the “not guilty” verdict against George Zimmerman, who shot and killed teenager Trayvon Martin. Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullers and Opal Tometi are the founders of the movement, which has transformed American politics and gone on to create a global movement that forces people around the world to pay attention to the ways that Black men, women and children receive inequitable treatment in the justice systems.

“I think our movements are showing that a whole other way is possible,” said Tometi. She has seen increases in the number of other movements that have come about in response to the awareness raised by Black Lives Matter. It has gone global, and is all the result of the people harnessing the courage to exercise their power and demand change. When we focus our minds and begin to pay attention to the politics surrounding death after death after death after death in a specific population, there is no denying that something inequitable is going on and someone needs to be held accountable.

Earlier this year, the British Broadcasting Corporation presented data that raises and leaves unanswered questions surrounding the increasing number of Black lives that are taken without just cause or explanation. It can be found at bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52904593. Further, this article published a chart showing great disparities in the percentage of fatal police shootings within populations of color. Their data shows that in 2019, African-Americans represented less than 13% of the population, but accounted for more than 23% of the 1,000+ fatal shootings by the police.

Does this data — which represents Black lives vs white lives — disturb or even puzzle you? If so, what action can you take to change the disparities of the incidents that happen to people of color? By exposing these disparities, the Black Lives Matter Movement builds power leading to decrease in the taking of Black lives. Empower your Power.

Dr. Ellen Brown is an affiliate faculty member at Regis University, Denver. Contact Dr. Brown at ebrown.nci@gmail.com