Racism is American Culture
By: Allison Gaines
Tags: Race Relations, George Floyd, BlackLivesMatter, Criminal Justice Reform, Breonna Taylor

Racism is American Culture

On Juneteenth 2020, America was mismanaging two worldwide pandemics: COVID-19 and police brutality. In both, the United States was set at center stage. Over 109,000 people had died of COVID-19 in the United States. This is the largest number of deaths in any single country worldwide. For America, the chickens have come to roost.

On May 25, 2020, a black man named George Floyd was murdered by the police. The event was documented on video by a 17-year-old girl. Chauvin, a Minneapolis officer, held down Floyd using a chokehold for 8 minutes. Three other officers, contributing to the murder, held down Floyd, by maintaining pressure on his back. Although Floyd pled for his life and informed officers that he could not breathe, they did not stop. As he struggled to live, he called out for his mother who had passed away a few years prior. The officers took no steps to revive him afterward. His death sparked national and international protests against police brutality, which highlighted the systematic racism seen within the United States. Protests persisted for over three weeks. Black women felt a collective loss as if they had lost a son and were outraged. Black men saw themselves in Floyd and black boys and girls saw a man that could have easily been their father slain. Surely as he looked into the camera and killed a black man, no one should ever again ask, “What is a modern-day lynching?” His death became a turning point in this New Civil Rights Movement. He was called, “The man who changed the world” because of his impact on the fight to end systematic racism.

The outrage over his death brought another case into the national spotlight. While Breonna Taylor was sleeping, officers entered her home using a no-knock warrant. The officers were not wearing uniforms and Taylor’s boyfriend attempted to protect his home by firing at the officers who appeared to be common intruders. The officers shot 20 shots in the home and 8 of those shots hit Breonna Taylor, killing her. This incident happened on March 13, 2020. Her mother spoke out about the death of her daughter and it was determined that the police officers’ report did not mention any bodily harm of Taylor. The people demanded Justice in Louisville, Kentucky. Although the officer was fired, there seemed to be no other consequences on the horizon. The warrant that the officers used was for a property that was miles away from Taylor’s home. It was very peculiar that they made such a big mistake. Once again, a black person’s life was disregarded without justice. Widespread reforms were proposed by members of the House of Representatives, which was controlled by Democrats. Demands were made to end the use of chokeholds during arrests, the end of no-knock warrants, the creation of a database to identify officers who have harmed citizens they were sworn to protect and to change qualified immunity which protected officers who had acted carelessly by violating the civil rights of those they swore to protect. The police unions continued to fight against systematic change to the budgets and procedures of police departments. The Republican Party, in its current form, vehemently opposed this bill.

Still, black people were under assault by the police and even the national spotlight could not stop their abuses. On June 14, 2020, a black father named Rayshard Brooks was shot in the back by an officer. He fell asleep in his car at a Wendy’s Restaurant. The police were called. After speaking to him calmly for over 20 minutes they decided to arrest him instead of allowing him to walk home. He was not driving the vehicle, did not have a weapon, and posed no threat. Still, a fight ensued when they attempted to put him in handcuffs. They never told Rayshard he was under arrest. He grabbed one of the officers tasers and started to run. When the officer caught up to him, he shot him in the back and the prosecutor upon announcing charges said the officer kicked his lifeless body. Shooting someone in the back undermines anyone’s argument that they are acting in self-defense. According to The Washington Post, United States police killed 1001 people in 2019. Yet, very few were brought to trial. Even fewer police officers are convicted of the murders they cause. The lack of accountability helped to facilitate the systematic racism in police departments. Without accountability, the police as a force for good, lost their credibility.

A great awakening began to occur as an organization called, “Black Lives Matter” began to gain international attention. This organization was in part developed thanks to the civil rights actions of Harry Belafonte. “He initiated a campaign to train the next generation of Civil Rights activists; the Gathering for Justice, which in turn created the Justice League, an important force in the Black Lives Matter movement” (p.844 Vitale, 2017). Although BLM was established in 2013, it gained substantial international momentum after the death of George Floyd. Citizens, black and white, began to aggressively protest police brutality and other forms of systematic racism. This movement, although mostly comprising of peaceful protests, also demonstrated the raw and justifiable anger of the black community. Sick of being slain like animals, many felt that it was time to demand change. There were calls to hold the officers accountable. They were arrested, though not initially. The police of Minneapolis had lost all credibility and no announcement of charges could subside the anguish felt by the citizens. Initially, fires burned across America as concerned white nationalists saw a flame that could engulf their ability to act with impunity. The third precinct in Minneapolis, for example, was set on fire. It quickly became socially unacceptable to be openly racist or biased towards black people. Many companies and public officials made statements in support of the BLM movement. Still, it is important to note that not all black people supported Black Lives Matter. Some denied that racism existed while others did not think it was wise to fight for liberation alongside white people. However, most black Americans understood that they were being disrespected and terrorized in their neighborhoods. They united to show the world that black lives really do matter. There have been many organizations throughout history who have made it their purpose to uplift the consciousness of black people. Their methods and effectiveness have greatly varied. However, the fight has continued and it will continue to exist in many forms.

An important point of contention amongst those who oppose the movement was the phrase “All Lives Matter”. Without an explanation, future generations may be confused by the rhetoric. Although all black people understand that everyone’s life has value, black lives have been marginalized, undervalued, and disregarded. The phrase, “Black Lives Matter,” emphasizes the need for black lives to be valued. When people say, “All Lives Matter” in the context of this time, they are trying to undermine the phrase “Black Lives Matter”. Pretending to be sincere all the while refusing to say the phrase “Black Lives Matter”. When black lives matter in a society, all lives will matter. After all, the whole point of these civil rights organizations is to liberate black people from persecution. Thus to say, “All Lives Matter” is to deny that black people are and have been persecuted. It is to say that the phrase “Black Lives Matter” is irrelevant when we know that this is not true. During the Civil Rights era, supporters of Martin Luther King Jr, wore signs saying, “I am a man” or “I am man” which in many ways was a precursor for the phrase “Black Lives Matter”. When black men held signs saying, “I am a man,” they were highlighting that society had failed to acknowledge them as men. Thus, they had to explicitly state it.

Racism is a disease that has plagued America since its inception. Thus, treating it has and will be especially difficult. It exists in the framework, in the creases and crevices. Some are blatantly, openly racist while others participate in systematic racism. Although no one can stop people from having individual biases, the system that treats black people differently can be changed. Neutrality is a contributing factor in the development of this racist system. Those who sit on the sidelines are not innocent of the persecution of black people. Although most can admit that America has a problem, the movement has often lacked a consensus for pushing forward. We stand at the precipice of change. Yet without a focus on behavioral and policy changes, the moment will pass without implementing necessary change for future generations. When a doctor diagnoses an illness, the diagnosis does not save the patient. Instead, the doctor must make recommendations for treatment. A lack of leadership means that there is no doctor that America will turn to ask for a treatment plan. Thus we must create our own if we are at all serious about making change.

The dry rot of racism must be taken out of the home, despite how ugly it looks during the transitional phase. Only then can we rebuild an America that everyone feels included in. To be clear, an inclusive society is a better society. The relationship between black people and America has been abusive. Black people have shown love, sacrificed lives for its creation, and fought for its success in every single war. However, it is time for the abuse to end. That can only happen when the abused stop being the victim and turn the tables on the oppressor. We must correct this broken home through changes to the law that inherently oppresses black people. Also, we must improve our communities so that they are positive places for growth and pride. The atrocities committed can never be undone. Yet we must change the country because we have the power to do so. Past failure is not an excuse for passivity.

Vitale, A. S. (2018).Â The end of policing. London, UK: Verso.