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Black Lives Matter Chapter Summary

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Personally, these two chapters helped make sense of the Black Lives Matter movement be providing context to the social structures that shape and perpetuate the oppressive experiences of an ethnic youth minority. In understanding how society can be institutionally oppressive (e.g through institutions of education, government, and economy), it also explains the degree in which human agency is necessary. This helps explain by some Black Lives Matter supporters must go to elaborate lengths to get their voices heard. Especially for youth who are already at a disadvantage. This is discussed by Cairns as millennials are seen as being entitled, therefore their voices, and experiences are discredited in some ways. However, Cairns responds with “expecting more than the status quo offers might actually be a positive thing” (Cairns, 30). Cairns also discusses the concept of democratic entitlement vs oppressive entitlement. Ideally everyone would have a right to democracy and be treated fairly, however it is acknowledged that if there was to happen, there would be no oppressive entitlement in which people feel superior over others (Cairns, 43). This superiority gives those in …show more content…

Once one understands the definition they then can see it taking place in their own lives. For example, Tanner and Wirtly completed a study in Toronto about youth crime and victimization. Their survey found an unbalanced number of black high school students had been questioned and /or searched by police two years prior to the survey (White et. al, 67). In understanding this, one can see how unarmed black men are shot and killed because they were viewed as a threat simply based on their outward appearance (clothes and colour of their

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