What Makes A Black?

A necessary and common fight for equality has been one that has survived throughout all of man’s existence. Due to recent racial divide and the product of racial profiling, a movement has risen up to combat these common issues. The most recent and most well-covered is the Black Lives Matter Movement. Even though it has been lauded by some media sources and individuals as the next great movement to champion for civil rights, the Black Lives Matter movement is not the same as the African-American Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s nor is it likely to be as successful. If the Black Lives Matter Movement continues with discrepancies in ideology, lack of clear leadership, and trends of hate, the movement is doomed to fail.

When asked the question, what does it mean to be black in America , the first thing that came to mine was struggle which means to make forceful or violence

For decades black Americans have been treated as animals, looked at as if they are monsters, and killed like bugs. Actions like Police brutality and racism is what caused Black Lives Matter. The creation of the Black Lives Matter was a response by the black community to give a voice to black Americans affected by the increase of wrongful deaths due to the law enforcements and vigilantes across the country. This has been going on for so long that it seems like we are stuck in the past. For years, even decades black Americans have had to live the struggle of being equal. Even when things are going good and we think we finally have the same rights, something happened to change that. It is time to shed a light on the real purpose of Black Lives Matter and why they are important to today's society.

Social movements are vital to the establishment of our societies, and they way we are governed. Social movements help the less privileged band together to create a stronger voice among a sea of political correctness and unlawfully rule that the public supposedly have to abide by without question. Movements create this new form of platform that, if done successfully, are able to create a worldwide frenzy where people from across all walks of life, including politicians, academics, the less fortunate, the homeless, doctors, etc, are able to come together to create change, or to start to create change on a matter that is close to their hearts. One of these matters that has come up in recent years that has been an ongoing battle for centuries upon centuries is Black Lives Matter (Although named various things throughout time such as black civil rights). Black Lives Matter is a movement that started back in 2012 after George Zimmerman was acquitted for his crime against a 17 year old boy named Trayvon Martin, and Trayvon was then put on trial for his own murder (Garza, A. 2014, p. 1.). This crime was just the tipping point for three women who wanted to see a change in the way black lives were/are treated. Black Lives Matter is one of the most important socio-political movements of our time, and this is why it is an important movement to connect with and understand. Throughout, I will be going through the strategies and the tactics Black Lives Matter advocates and cofounders have

However, culture cannot defined how enough of your race you are. The article, ‘What does it mean to be Black-ish?’ it discuss how culture incorporates with how Black you really are by referring back to a new ABC comedy called Black-ish which entirely focuses on a Black father and family in the suburbs who wonders if his family have lost touch to their African-American roots and identity. In the article, the author stated that, “Black people like the Johnsons (Black-ish family) who live in the suburbs and have prestigious careers and send their kids to private school are not real Black. They’re back-ish. If you want to be real Black, you need to stay in the hood.” (Cleveland, 2014) This thought process is comparing rich, suburban Blacks to low-class, urban Blacks by saying that richer Blacks are not true Blacks because of their selective status and because of this it forms a negative racial identity and produce the thought that all Blacks are alike: urban neighborhood, excel at sports and hip-hop references. The author also brings up a Tom Gilovich, a social psychologist, quote, ““Racists who maintain that African-Americans can’t excel outside sports and entertainment are unlikely to be the likes of, say, Barack Obama or Attorney General Eric Holder.” … In other words, President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder aren’t black; they’re black-ish.” (Cleveland, 2014) In this quote is explaining that because

Being black in America involves a process of moving through and adopting from many different cultures. As an African American, I am a descendant of one of the most unique diverse groups of people in America. Nearly all my ancestors carry some European and Native American DNA. Although slavery greatly restricted the ability of Africans in America to practice their cultural traditions; somehow, many of their practices, values, and beliefs survived, but over time have incorporated elements of European American culture. Black culture on another hand exists on multiple planes due to racism, economic and social condition, and location trends that draws from a variety of influences born both in and outside black communities.

So African American used arts such as Music, Poetry, and Painting to speak before we had the freedom and knowledge to do it for ourselves. I think of some of the first famous African American musicians such as; Louis Armstrong, who became famous for play trumpet for the Creole Jazz Band back in 1922 and, Bessie Smith, who made her debut release “Gulf Coast Blues” and “Downhearted Blues” with Columbia Records in 1923, She ended selling 725,000 copies in about six months. Musicians like Armstrong and Smith have paved the way for artist such as Michael Jackson, Aaliyah, and Alicia Keys to be able to perform for audiences all over the world. These artists proved to us that faith and strength can go a long

Black Studies should promote the worldview and culture of the African people and their descendants, attributing to students’ comprehension of the subject matter and how the field relentlessly develops over time but maintains its prestige. Students throughout history have expressed the necessity of Black Studies being an outlet for “the political need for turf and place, the psychological need for identity, and the academic need for recognition” (Huggins, 1985, p. 327). In order to stress the importance, Black Studies in modern higher education should not be taught using conventional methods but instead through an African-Centered Worldview. Furthermore, Black Studies should reflect the Kemetic culture, as well as its philosophy as it relates

When speaking of “blackness”, as it pertains to white

“The organization has branched out with chapters in 31 cities” (Sidner and Simon 1). “Even though the movement is fairly young it’s has expanded greatly reaching most major cities in the United States and with the help of technology It has been able to reach many parts of the world gaining supporters from people of all kinds. Even though it has been so successful to say that the BLM movement hasn’t seen its fair share of negative criticism for there way of showing their disapproval of the state African Americans are treated. ”Roughly four-in-ten Americans support the Black Lives Matter movement” (Horowitz and Livingston 1). With a movements that are very bold a sense of together or against can be seen when it comes to support or against. This is no different with the BLM movement has been seen as either you or with us or against us which makes you apart of the problem With these two factors in place were we have many people who know what the movement is with

The founders and supporters of Black Lives Matter don’t see that they are idolizing black supremacy. Now it’s ok to be angry and upset when black are

Originating in 2012, the political movement known under the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter has exploded in size and renown. This movement, which was initially inspired after a police officer was acquitted of all charges after fatally shooting an African American individual, seeks to diminish police brutality against African American individuals and systemic racism particularly in the United States. Sweeping the nation, Black Lives Matter has become an international movement and its influence has only increased with time. On the movement’s official website, the following was written regarding the history of the hashtag-inspired entourage, “#BlackLivesMatter was created in 2012 after Trayvon Martin’s murderer, George Zimmerman, was acquitted for his crime, and dead 17-year old Trayvon was posthumously placed on trial for his own murder. Rooted in the experiences of Black people in this country who actively resist our dehumanization, #BlackLivesMatter is a call to action and a response to the virulent anti-Black racism that permeates our society. Black Lives Matter is a unique contribution that goes beyond extrajudicial killings of Black people by police and vigilantes.” (http://blacklivesmatter.com/about/). The #BlackLivesMatter movement asserts that racism is still prevalent in modern society and exists not only in passive forms. Instead, racism apparently can be both overt and implicit.

The Black Lives Matter movement has swept across America. It 's branched out with chapters in over 31 cities and held rallies and boycotts across the United States(Sidner). The Black Lives Matter movement started with the outrage of the death of a young man. It continues to take over headlines and raise awareness on police brutality and inequality. However, the movement has met resistance from the All Lives Matter group. This group thinks that Black Lives Matter is a movement to express hatred towards other races. However, statistics, the views of fellow citizens, and the overall purpose of the Black Lives Matter movement, can prove that the movement wasn 't meant to express hate on other races and that we need to support the movement instead of going against it.

Some folks say and support “Black Lives” and others, “All Lives”. As time go on, things take a turn ‘for the worse’. The ‘turn for the worse’ is due to the mindset of many people and the mass media. With time should come justice, peace and common ground on what is happening, but what if no one is supportive or have no knowledge of what is to come? The saying of “All Lives Matter” is deleterious and ruinous to the “Black Lives Matter” movement and support and to the black community by deteriorating their beliefs, livelihood, and mentality.

Participating in the millennial movement for the universal liberation of Black bodies began my relationship with my Blackness because I couldn’t proclaim that Black lives mattered while unable to appreciate my life. Since #BlackLivesMatter required transcending Twitter it require me to practice what I tweeted.