Here's Why Black Lives Matter

According to Wikipedia, Black Lives Matter is a decentralized political and social movement advocating for non-violent civil disobedience in protest against incidents of police brutality and all racially motivated violence against black people. In the U.S. alone police have killed 897 people in 2020 and there were only 14 days, in 2020, where police didn't kill someone.

Despite making up for only 13% of the United States' population, 28% of all those killed by police in 2020, were black people. Over 165 innocent black people were shot by the police (caucasian) in the first 8 months of 2020. For every 1 million population, there is a 6.6% police homicide rate towards black people; 3 times higher than that for the white race. The outrageous part is, that these shootings aren't even done towards 'criminals'. They apparently have 'no excuse'. What's even more ridiculous is that 98.3% of killings by police from 2013 to 2020 have not resulted in the officers being charged or prosecuted. Only 1 in every 350 officers get convicted for their brutality.

Now take a second to just think about it. What would you do if 35% of your brothers and sisters got suspended from school for no apparent reason? What if only 13% of them could have the privilege and access to a good education? What would you do if the senior members of your family couldn't get healthcare because they were 'different'? What would you do if none of your family members could walk down the street to get groceries because they would face some kind of harassment...even death?

We as teenagers have a lot of power. We have the power to finally change and accept people so that there will be rise to a more inclusive and loving generation. We need to do it for the sake of humanity. You see, people always say that humans aren't animals. I agree. We're worse.

Sithumdi Jayawardhana

Founder of Poetry United.

https://mappingpoliceviolence.org/

https://www.reneeater.com/on-monuments-blog/tag/list+of+unarmed+black+people+killed+by+police