400 Years Later and Still No Justice

CONTENT WARNINGS: mentions of violence

On Monday, May 25, 2020, George Floyd, an African American Minneapolis resident, was arrested by now ex-policeman Derek Chauvin for attempting to buy cigarettes with a counterfeit $20 bill. In footage released by a bystander, Floyd was seen in great distress as Chauvin forced his knee down on his neck, asphyxiating him. The entire scene stretched over eight minutes, resulting in his death. After major public outcry, Chauvin was fired and eventually charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter, implying that his actions were unintentional. However, the fact that Chauvin’s chokehold lasted for three and a half minutes after Floyd lost consciousness proves otherwise. An immense wave of criticism followed these charges: many not only demanded that Chauvin be charged with second-degree murder, but also that the cops who stood by and watched Floyd die to be put on trial. Since Monday night, protests and riots have been held in multiple major cities in response to this cold-blooded murder, a textbook example of police brutality against people of color.

The issues of brutality towards black people and systemic racism in the United States have been prevalent prior to the founding of the United States. The institution of slavery formed the backbone of the American economy for over two centuries, from the early 1600s to the late 1800s. Although slavery may have ended in the 1860s with the thirteenth amendment, the segregationist and blatantly racist ways of the United States have yet to be abolished. When society systematically disenfranchises an entire race and robs them of the socioeconomic flexibility inherent in the “American Dream” and subsequently blames the high poverty and crime rates found in African American communities on “racial inferiority,” it plants a dangerous seed of racism in the minds of the youth. Not only does this pattern create a subconscious sense of inferiority that holds several black children back, but it also creates a sense of superiority in white youth that perpetuates the discrimination seen in the world today.

The type of thinking that prompted Chauvin’s killing of Floyd is not a fluke, and this mentality is much more common than we would like to admit. Racial discrimination remains especially apparent when it comes to the treatment of black people before law enforcement. Black men are about 2.5 times more likely to be killed by police than white men. According to the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA, 1 in 1000 black men can expect to be killed by the police. 

Due to frustration with the sheer lack of action being taken by the government and police concerning brutality towards African Americans, many peaceful protests have quickly turned violent. There have been several instances of crowds looting public facilities and burning down police precincts. While in many cases there has been footage of police and outside perpetrators instigating chaos, many real protesters also contributed to the destruction. On one hand, there is no incentive for black people to abide by the law when the law consistently fails to protect them. On the other hand, the violence associated with the protests has been used as a counterpoint to detract and draw the public’s attention away from the discrimination and inequality faced by African Americans every day in this nation—the real issue at play here.

Following criticism over the violence occurring in some riots both on social and mainstream media, many supporters of the protests and riots responded by claiming that such a reaction stemmed from valuing material property over black lives killed at the hands of the police. While some critics may have discriminatory reasoning behind their comments, most intend to enhance the effectiveness of the Justice for Floyd and overarching Black Lives Matter movements. The riot’s destruction did not address the ultimate root of the problem: white American ignorance fueled by a lack of desire to become educated on African American history, coupled with a superiority complex. Many rebutted that white Americans get away with looting public places for fun, without being held accountable to the same extent as black people protesting for racial injustice. But just because white people get away with looting—even for miniscule things like their favorite baseball team winning a match in 2012 in San Francisco—doesn’t mean you should stoop to their level. The difference in response observed is not a justification—it’s simply another example of institutionalized racism and white privilege. 

Even before the killing of George Floyd, police brutality and racism were pressing issues in our nation. Why does it always take someone’s death before we suddenly speak out against the discrimination African Americans face every day? While advocating for the incarceration of the other three officers involved in Floyd’s murder would set a groundbreaking precedent for law enforcement personnel in the future, the larger issue remains: ignorant white supremacy is rooted in every aspect of the way our country is run, including its politics. In fact, this supremacy is very clearly exemplified by our own President Donald Trump.

President Trump failed to stand by black Americans in 2017 when the white supremacist neo-Nazi rally took place in Charlottesville, stating that “We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry, and violence on many sides, on many sides.”  His emphasis on the “many sides” left room for the blame to fall upon the counter-protestors, who stood against the racism and anti-Semitism of the white nationalist rally. Of course, while he was incredibly forgiving towards the white supremacists who partook in that assembly, he was quick to call out those who looted the Minneapolis Target and police precinct as “thugs,” even going so far as to state that “When the looting starts, the shooting starts.”  With a President like Trump in power, it is no mystery as to why racism is still incredibly prevalent in our nation.

In response to both the riots and the murder of Floyd, the hashtags #JusticeForFloyd and #BlackLivesMatter have spread like wildfire across social media. On my personal Instagram account, nearly every story I watched featured a trend where participants were asked to tag 10 of their followers to continue spreading the hashtags and the messages they stood for. Trends like these are not new to social media. It seems that after every major unjust atrocity publicized by the media, people are quick to jump on to spreading hashtags in support of the victims and their communities. While the intentions of many are good when they engage in hashtag activism, it psychologically reduces the magnitude of the issue; grave incidents are simplified into just a headline or catchphrase. Hashtag activism can also be self-congratulatory, allowing people to feel like they stand for equality and justice, even as they do nothing substantial to support the cause. 

While some may argue that this quick form of spreading a message increases the movement’s traction, most hashtag activists tag ten close friends who likely share similar values, resulting in no real education. Real change comes when dialogue with the other side happens, not when people reinforce each others’ shared views, consequently completely vilifying those with differing views. Even changing one’s profile picture to a universal symbol for the Black Lives Matter movement would be more effective than this Instagram trend; at least then, even strangers on the internet with different levels of exposure to the Black Lives Matter movement can be reminded of the ongoing terrors.

To further explain why hashtag activism is so ineffective, it can be contrasted with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s (MLK) leadership style in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. The success of the movement can be attributed not to the size of the crowds, but to the fact that MLK led the crowds. President Lyndon B. Johnson only pushed the legislature in favor of ending legalized racial discrimination because MLK had full-fledged support of a large portion of the US population, to the point where MLK’s authority threatened that of President Johnson’s. Without his great oration and genius rhetoric, the Civil Rights Movement would not have been as effective. 

With the emergence of social media and “hashtag activism,” it takes almost no credentials to form a large movement. Without a leading figure to challenge authority, each activist’s voice packs little punch. As a result, peaceful protests which rely on eye-catching short headlines are empty threats to those in office. Furthermore, with the speed at which information is passed around in this Digital Age, most movements built on an online base are fleeting, even when the issues they confront are not. For real reform to take place, we need a leader accompanied by organized supporters, not just an army of demonstrators. 

My intention is not to villainize or shut out those who engage in hashtag activism. I understand that most “hashtag activists” have good intentions and resort to social media posts only because they feel as though they are trying to spread awareness, granted the sentiment that they have no real power to make substantial changes. Despite these good intentions, we need to come together and realize that some issues are worth more than just a story with a couple of hashtags that disappear within 24 hours. No long-lasting changes can occur without real effort. 

In many ways, this article is a call to action. More than just typing a few words on our phones or reposting ways to practice anti-racism, we need an actual leader. While we can continue to use the internet and social media platforms to our advantage, we cannot rely on trapping ourselves in a bubble of people who already share our views. Somebody needs to take charge; somebody who is willing to have a genuine conversation; somebody with a well-established platform. Because without your leadership, George Floyd won’t be the only soul robbed of their life.

by LINA JAAFAR