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KathaliyaInthavong
RustyWalker
Humanities
04December2015

RacismPresentInAmerica
PeopleinAmericathinkthatracismendedoncethecivilrightsmovementended.Ithad
turnedfromahugeworldwideissuetonowsomethingthatjusthappenedinthepast,andits
supposedlyoverbecausetherearenopeopledrinkingfromdifferentfountains.Peoplethinkits
overjustbecauseitdoesntaffectthemspecificallyanditsnotsociallyacceptableinmost
peopletogoandsaytheydontlikecoloredpeople,oracertainrace.Butracismisstillpresent
inAmericansocietytoday,andisfarfromoverbecauseithasbeenreplacedwithasubtler
version.Alsopreviousgenerationslikeourparentsforexample,howtheyweretaughtbytheir
parentsinfluencesus,thenextgeneration.Howweactaffectsandinfluencesthenext
generationstocome.
OnemajorthingthatshowsthatracismstillexistsistheBlackLivesMatter
hashtag/movementontwitter,thatshowsalreadythatracismisstillhere.Havingtosayacertain
racelivesmatterinasentencealreadyshowstheresanissue.Itshouldbealllivesmatter,but
thistimeblacklivesbecausethosewerethelivesthatwerethreatenedandtaken.Thekillingsof
TrayvonMartin(17),MichaelBrown(18),andEricGarner(43)arewhatstartedtheBlackLives
Matterhashtag,astheywereunarmedandshotatbywhitepoliceofficerswhichhadcausedsuch
anuproar.ButwhereasTrayvonsmatterhewasshotbyanunknownman,AndrewZimmerman.


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Hewasshotbecausehelookedlikeasuspiciouscharacter.Furthermoremostofthepolice
officers,orkillersforexampleDarrenWilson,wasnotchargedofthekillingofMichaelBrown
whentherewasclearlyevidenceofwhathedid.
OfficerWilsonfired12rounds,includingtwo
fromthecarand10moredownthestreet,whereMr.Brownsustainedatleastsixmorewounds,
includingathisforeheadandthetopofhishead1
thejuryhadconsistedof9whitepeopleand
3blackpeople.AftertheannouncementofnotindictingDarrenWilson,therewasawaveof
outrageinFergusonwhichalsoledtothesayingHandsUpDontShow.Infactthisshows
thatracismisstillpresentinAmericatoday,killinginnocentunarmedpeopleasyoungas7
yearsold2.
AftertheFergusonincidenthadseemedtocooldown,anothertragicincidenthappened
andthedeathofSandraBlandsparkedthenationwiththequestionsagain,Whenwillthe
deathsofunarmedblackpeoplestop?Whenwillpolicebrutalitystop?Arethepolicetaking
advantageoftheirpowerordotheynotknowhowtouseit?SandraBland(28yearsold)
supposedlycommittedsuicideinherjailcellafterbeingpulledoverandarrestedforfailingto
signal,thenarrestedforresisting.SandraBlandwasdeadinhercall,hangingherselfwitha
plasticbag,butreportssayshewaslefttherefor3hoursbeforesendingforhelp3.
Today,overa
monthlaterwestilldonthavewhatweaskedforsaidSandrasmotherdemonstratingthat
evenafteramonthandwithevidencetheystilldonothavejusticeforSandra.

NewYorkTimes,ByLarryBuchanan,
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/08/13/us/fergusonmissouritownundersiegeafterpoliceshooting.html?
_r=0
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http://www.nbcnews.com/news/usnews/deathsandrablandwhatweknowsofarn396036
3
MaryL.Datcher
http://chicagodefender.com/2015/09/10/sandrablandsuicideorhomicidenewevidencequestions/

Happycopsarefillingourmorgueswithyoungblackmen4thisquoteisunfortunately
truethatweneedtostop,notonlywithyoungblackpeoplebutanyoneingeneral.Onaverage
therehavebeenabout4,472blackmenkilledbypoliceforcefromJan1,2009andDec31,2012.
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Policekillingsneedtostopwithinnocentunarmedpeople,andeverystoryofawhitecop

killingablackpersonisalwaysthesame.Unarmedvictimpoliceofficerwronglyaccusedbut
theyhaveavideoofthemdoingit.WhenDylanRoofhadwenttoahistoricalblackchurch,sat
thereandprayedwiththemthenkillingallofthemthatisvaluedhatecrimenoquestion.But
DylanRoofwascalmlyarrestedfromhishomewhileMichaelBrown,EricGarnerwereall
killedafterorbeforebeingarrestedbywhitepolice.
RacismwillnotendinAmericaoranywhereifwedontstartmakingachange.Killing
whitecopstoavengeMichaelBrown,SandraBlandetcisnotgoingtohelpaswell.
Consequentlyitisjustpouringmorehatredintothehatewealreadyhave,whenweneedtostop
thekilling,thefuturegenerationsneedtostartmakingthechange.Thefirststeptothatchangeis
acceptingthefactthatracismisstillheretoday,andwewillgoonfromtheretobetterthefuture
forthenextgenerations.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/blacklivesmatterbutrealitynotsomuch1441755075
ByJasonLRiley
http://www.allenbwest.com/2015/11/crimeexpertreleasesshockingnewstatisticsaboutblackmenkille
dbycops/
ByMicheleHickford
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