Author: Maya Smith

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Local Nonprofit Leaders Urge Officials to Address Systemic Racism, Poverty

CREDIT: Brandon Dill

Brandon Dill

Protesters and police officers face off during the 2016 Hernando de Soto bridge protest

A coalition of local nonprofit leaders wrote an open letter to local officials and business leaders, listing steps to address police issues and poverty in the city.

The letter, signed by more than 100 leaders of nonprofits here, lists eight demands related to police brutality and accountability, as well as five demands for tackling poverty in Memphis.

“We have come together as black leaders of the nonprofit space to amplify the cries and demands heard in our streets and around the country,” the letter reads. “Joined by our non-black colleagues in leadership, we demand more of our city’s leadership. We see the direct impact of racism and oppression daily.”

Specifically, the letter asks the following:

• Release all of the protesters that were arrested and drop all charges; investigate law enforcement brutality and misconduct during the recent protests

• Reallocate funding from the police department to fund alternatives rooted in community health and crisis response

• Ban chokeholds and strangleholds by Memphis and Shelby County law enforcement officers

• Require de-escalation as a first response by Memphis and Shelby County law enforcement officers

• Develop a duty to intervene when an officer witnesses another officer using excessive force

• Require reporting by officers any time they point a firearm at a citizen

• Give the Civilian Law Enforcement Review Board (CLERB) the power to investigate and ensure accountability for police conduct and provide clear avenues for CLERB’s input on police training, policies, and procedures

• Include grassroots black and brown leaders and activists on the team selecting the next MPD chief

Next, the letter lists five demands to address inequality and poverty, explaining that the systemic issues go beyond policing.

“From education to wages, we have constructed and perpetuated a system that keeps our residents in poverty,” the letter reads. “We call on leadership in all sectors — government, nonprofit, and corporations — to adopt an agenda that addresses these issues. It will require doing businesses differently and centering the lives, dreams, and concerns of all of our residents.”

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The specific asks include:

• Combat poverty by tracking companies paying a living wage and having corporations sign on to a living wage pledge and a commitment to give temporary employees health insurance and benefits

• Renew investment in K-12 in the city budget

• End money bail and stop penalties for traffic tickets, court costs, and other fines

• Enact a citizen participatory budgeting process for the city and county that prioritize neighborhood-level investments

• Release a clear plan for more effectively funding the Memphis Area Transit Authority by August

“We believe deeply that the leadership in our city wants a city where all residents are treated with dignity and humanity and are provided opportunities to become thriving citizens,” the letter reads. “For us to get there, we ask the leaders in government and business to respond to these demands with clear commitment to ACTION.”

The letter calls for the recipients to respond with clear action steps by June 26th. Read the full letter and see the list of signees below.

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Report Ranks Memphis Fifth in Efforts to Improve Biking Experience

CREDIT: Facebook/BikePed Memphis

Facebook/BikePed Memphis

Memphis has shown a strong commitment to improving its bike network and encouraging residents to ride, according to a report released this week.

PeopleForBikes evaluated 550 U.S. and Canadian cities for the report. Memphis ranked 60th overall with a score of 2.5 out of 5.

However, in the acceleration category Memphis snagged fifth place. The acceleration score assesses how quickly a city is improving its biking infrastructure and how successful it is at encouraging residents to ride bikes. Memphis scored 4.2 in this category.

In the other four categories, Memphis’ scored significantly lower. The city’s next highest score, 1.7, was in the reach category. This was determined by how well and equally the city’s bike network serves the community.


Memphis scored 1.5 in the ridership category, which is based on how many people are using bikes here for both transportation and recreation.

Memphis’ bike network scored 1.4. The network score evaluates the quality of the city’s bike network and how well it connects people to each other and with destinations in the city.

Finally, in the safety category, Memphis earned its lowest score of 1.3. This score is based on fatalities and injuries of cyclists, as well as pedestrians and drivers. It’s also based on how safe people perceive biking to be in the city.

Of the four major cities in Tennessee, Memphis earned the highest overall score. Nashville’s overall score was 1.3, Chattanooga’s was 1.6, and Knoxville’s was 2.2.

The organization ranked San Luis Obispo, California, as the no. 1 city for biking in the country, followed by Madison, Wisconsin; Santa Barbara, California; and Washington, D.C.

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Strickland Says He Opposes Defunding Police Department

CREDIT: Brandon Dill

Brandon Dill

Mayor Jim Strickland

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said Wednesday he is against defunding the Memphis Police Department.

As the national conversation about defunding police departments heats up, Strickland released a statement expressing his stance. Here is what the mayor had to say:

“I’m opposed to defunding our police department,” Strickland said. “Over the last four and half years, we’ve increased funding to libraries, community centers, made summer camps free, created Manhood University, W.O.W.S, and the Public Service Corps for those who need second chances, and came up with a way to fund universal needs-based pre-K, but we still have more work to do.

“With our city’s fight against violent crime, I believe cutting funding from the Memphis Police Department is unwise. And frankly, it’s out of touch with the majority of city residents. The New York Times completed a poll recently, and it showed that only 1 percent of Americans favor defunding the police.

“For context here locally, last year during my campaign the number one issue with Memphis voters was crime, and the overwhelming majority of citizens were supportive of hiring more officers, and voted to increase the taxes they pay to do it.”


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Council Committee OKs Resolutions on Police Transparency, ‘8 Can’t Wait,’ Rallings’ Successor

Memphis City Hall

Despite technical issues and frequent streaming lapses, a Memphis City Council committee advanced three items that focus on police reform at its online meeting Tuesday.

The first is a resolution sponsored by Councilman JB Smiley Jr. that aims to increase the transparency of the complaint process for the Memphis Police Department (MPD).

The executive committee voted unanimously in favor of the resolution, which specifically calls for the public safety section of the city’s data portal to be expanded to include all complaints of excessive force and misuse of body cameras, including a timeline of the investigation into the complaint.

The resolution also calls for the administration to access the feasibility of expanding the portal to include these complaints.

Smiley said the city has the “information and infrastructure” to include this information free of charge.

“Making this information available is about transparency and access,” Smiley said. “It’s about a fundamental change to reduce violence between citizens and law enforcement.”

MPD director Michael Rallings said the department might not currently have the technology to fulfill this request and that there might need to be an investment in new technology before it can.

“We want to do whatever you want,” Rallings said. “We just want to make sure we know exactly what you want.”

Councilman Worth Morgan said he is “all for” the resolution: “I love me some good transparency.”

However, Morgan said the details of the resolution need to be hashed out so the council can “hone in on exactly what we are asking for.”

Councilwoman Cheyenne Johnson, moved to amend the resolution to include the fire department as well.

The committee recommended the amended resolution for approval.

The council also advanced a joint resolution between the council and the Shelby County Commission requesting that MPD and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department adopt the “8 Can’t Wait” use-of-force reduction policy.

The policy was created by Campaign Zero, an anti-police-brutality advocacy group, to be implemented by law enforcement agencies in order to reduce and prevent violent encounters.

The eight principles of the policy include: banning chokeholds and strangleholds, requiring de-escalation, requiring a warning before shooting, exhausting all alternatives before shooting, intervening and stopping excessive force by other officers, banning shooting at moving vehicles, requiring use-of-force continuum, and requiring comprehensive reporting each time an officer uses force or threatens to do so.

According to the Campaign Zero website, MPD already practices three of the eight principles, but according to Rallings, four of the policies are currently in place.

Those include the ban of the chokehold, as well as requiring de-escalation, warning before shooting, and use-of-force continuum.

Rallings added that MPD just issued a new policy Tuesday on officers’ duty to intervene.

Morgan told the council that “on the face of it, some of these seem good,” but that he has questions about some of the policies, naming the ban of shooting from vehicles as an example.

“I can think of a lot of circumstances where it would be appropriate and help safeguard lives more than anything,” Morgan said. “A classic example would be Charlottesville, where at a peaceful protest a white supremacist decided to weaponize his vehicle and drove it through the crowd.”

Rallings is expected to return to the council on Tuesday, June 16th, to present the departments existing adherence to the “8 Can’t Wait” policies.

Martavious Jones withdrew a resolution that would ban the use of chokeholds by public safety officers after Rallings explained that chokeholds, except when an officer is fighting for their life, are already prohibited under MPD policy and state law.

The last resolution recommended for approval, sponsored by Michalyn Easter-Thomas, calls for Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland to form a community task force to assist in the selection of a new MPD director. Rallings announced last year that he plans to retire in April 2021.

All the resolutions, with the exception of Jones’ chokehold item, will be voted on at the full council meeting on Tuesday, June 16th.

Read the resolutions below.

[pdf-1]

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News News Blog

City Council Looks to Expand Police Transparency, Plan for MPD Director Rallings’ Succession

CREDIT: Brandon Dill

Brandon Dill

Michael Rallings with crowd during protest

Joining the national conversation about police reform, the Memphis City Council is set to hear four items related to police transparency, use of force, and de-escalation this afternoon (Tuesday).

The first is a resolution sponsored by Councilman JB Smiley Jr. that would increase the transparency of the complaint process for the Memphis Police Department (MPD).

The resolution specifically calls for the public safety section of the city’s data portal to be expanded to include all complaints of excessive force and misuse of body cameras, including a timeline of the investigation into the complaint.

The second resolution sponsored by council members Smiley, Michalyn Easter-Thomas, and Martavious Jones, is a joint resolution between the council and the Shelby County Commission, requesting that MPD and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department adopt the “8 Can’t Wait” use-of-force reduction policy.

The policy was created by Campaign Zero, an anti-police brutality advocacy group, to be implemented by law enforcement agencies in order to reduce and prevent violent encounters.

Campaign Zero

The eight principles of the policy include: banning chokeholds and strangleholds, requiring de-escalation, requiring a warning before shooting, exhausting all alternatives before shooting, intervening and stopping excessive force by other officers, banning shooting from vehicles, requiring use-of-force continuum, and requiring comprehensive reporting each time an officer uses force or threatens to do so.

Jones is also introducing a resolution that would ban the use of chokeholds by public safety officers and create a system for reporting when they are used.

The last resolution, sponsored by Thomas, calls for Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland to form a community task force to assist in the selection of a new MPD director.

The council will discuss these items in its executive session today (Tuesday) at 1 p.m. See the full text of the resolutions below.

[pdf-1]

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Rally at ‘Memphis Massacre’ Site Calls for End to Systemic Racism

CREDIT: Maya Smith

Maya Smith

Rev. Regina Clarke, also with the Poor People’s Campaign speaks.

A couple dozen people gathered Downtown Memphis on Monday to rally for justice and an end to systemic racism.

The demonstration, organized by the Poor People’s Campaign, took place in Army Park, where a historical marker stands commemorating the Memphis Massacre of 1866. The massacre lasted three days, over which a white mob led by law enforcement killed approximately 46 black people, raped several black women, and burned churches, schools, and other black establishments.

Maya Smith

After reading the words from the historical marker, Rev. Edith Love with the Poor People’s campaign said violence by white people toward black people has not stopped, but that “it has merely evolved.”

“As we stand in the very spot where white police officers and other white men committed acts of unspeakable violence in 1866, consider carefully the deaths of unarmed citizens by the hands of police,” Love said. “And I ask you how much has really changed?”

Monday Rev. Regina Clarke, also with the Poor People’s Campaign, after leading a prayer, called on the country to stop “all forms of systemic racism.”

“Today I want to pray for everyone who has been impacted by systemic racism, denial of health care, and police brutality,” Clarke said. “We also want to make sure we call out and make prominent the names of those here in Memphis who have been impacted by police brutality. We see the violence of injustice, we see the violence of racism against black people, Latinos, First Nations, and people of color. We know this violence is a threat to all humanity in this yet to be perfect union.”

Specifically, Clarke called for an end to “perpetuating poverty,” along with equal access to healthcare, decent housing, voting rights, equitable education, and “the chance to survive and thrive.”

“We hear the cries of the poor people and low wealth in a land of abundance,” Clarke said. “We hear the fear of death among the uninsured and under-insured. We hear the groans of ecological devastation and environmental violence. We feel the violence of militarism all around.”

Maya Smith

Rabbi Jeremy Simons of Temple Israel spoke about mourning


Rabbi Jeremy Simons of Temple Israel spoke about mourning in the Jewish faith, saying he is there for “solidarity in presence and partnership.”

“When you enter a house of mourning or when you encounter someone who is mourning, you walk into their house, you sit down, and shut up,” Simons said. “You offer your presence and nothing else.”

Simons continued, saying that this is not only a period of mourning, but also of “self reflection in the face of systemic injustice.”

Frank Johnson of Abyssinian Missionary Baptist Church also spoke Monday, after singing a verse of “Amazing Grace.”

“Black lives matter because we built this city and this country, but still this country wants to disrespect our lives,” Johnson said. “It wants to tell us to be quiet when we are talking about our issues and problems, but it always wants our bodies when it needs it.”

The demonstrators then paused and reflected in silence for eight minutes and 45 seconds, the amount of time a police officer knelt on the neck of George Floyd.

Maya Smith

Maya Smith

Maya Smith

Maya Smith

Demonstrators take a moment of silence

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Tennessee Legislators Advance Two Bills Targeting Refugee Resettlement

A Tennessee House committee advanced two anti-refugee bills Thursday, that one refugee rights group calls hateful and untimely as the state grapples with a global pandemic and civil unrest.

The first bill, HB 1929, sponsored primarily by Rep. Ron Gant (R-Rossville), seeks to prohibit the governor from requiring the state to consent to refugee resettlement, unless authorized by a joint resolution of the general assembly. Gant said the legislation is designed “only to encourage a dialogue between our members and Governor [Bill] Lee so we can continue to determine the cost and any potential safety issues with the refugee resettlement program.”

The legislation is not about “whether you’re for or against refugees coming to Tennessee,” Gant said, but instead about who should appropriate the money for the resettlement program.

Gant said the federal government shifted resettlement costs to states after the passage of the Refugee Act of 1980, creating an “unconstitutional bypass of the Tennessee General Assembly’s exclusive power to appropriate public money.” This is the reason the general assembly filed a lawsuit against the federal government over refugee resettlement in 2017, which is still ongoing.

“While we can be compassionate about those being persecuted, we must also ensure that we are effectively meeting the needs of Tennesseans first,” Gant said. “Our state has always been welcoming to countless generations of individuals who have used the legal process to relocate here. As the legislature, it is our responsibility to appropriate money, and respectfully, not our governor’s.” Gant added that given the current economic situation, that the bill is “crucial now more than ever, as we deal with our budget and taking care of Tennesseans first.”

Rep. Harold Love Jr. (D-Nashville) raised the question of how much money those resettled in Tennessee contribute to the sales tax base here. Gant said he has no data on that, but “I would be welcome to seeing those numbers.”

“Oftentimes, what happens is as we talk about money being expended, we never talk about money received,” Love said. “We focus on what goes out and not comes in.” Love said there are “possibly a good number of refugees that have settled here who are engaging in work that may even contribute to Tennessee being a great state.”

Rep. Jason Powell (D-Nashville) echoed Love, saying he “strongly feels that a lot of the refugees here in Tennessee are contributing in a very positive economic way to this state.” The bill passed with a voice vote, in which the ayes prevailed. Rep. Rick Staples (D-Knoxville) and Rep. Bill Beck (D-Nashville) requested their no votes be noted.

The second bill, HB 1578, sponsored by Rep. Bruce Griffey, would require the state and local governments to refuse to consent to receive any refugees for purposes of resettlement. Under the bill, a local government can consent to resettlement by adoption of a resolution or ordinance gaining at least two-thirds vote. However, both houses of the general assembly would still be required to okay that decision before it can go into effect.

“If it’s issues that are going to impact the local community, I think the local community ought to be able to have a say so in the decisions that impact their communities,” Griffey said.

Beck, who is opposed to the legislation, said he is “proud” of the refugee resettlement program and that Tennessee should stay “welcoming and honoring.”

“These are people who, for the most part, have aided the United States overseas and we should look to reward those people,” Beck said. The committee voted 5-2 in favor of the bill, with Staples and Beck again voting no.

Representatives with the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) opposed the advancement of the bills, calling them “hateful” and “divisive.”

Judith Clerjeune, policy and legislative affairs manager of TIRRC, said Tennessee legislators are “wasting time and resources sowing further division instead of working to find a real solution for our families and communities.”

“Tennesseans are hurting deeply, and our lawmakers need to be focused on passing policies that ensure we all have access to healthcare and economic relief to weather this crisis, that black and brown communities can be safe from police violence, and that all workers have the protections they need to provide for their families while keeping themselves and their communities safe,” Clerjeune said. “We need bold leadership, not fruitless attacks on refugees, to make sure all Tennesseans can pull through these tough times together.”

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Petition Started for Better Police Accountability


A petition has been started on change.org to increase the accountability of the Memphis Police Department.

Seeking 1,000 signatures, Jimmy Donlon started the petition to Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland and the Memphis City Council this week.

“Police are entrusted with weapons and deadly force when deemed necessary,” the petition reads. “The people of Memphis ask for increased accountability from the Memphis Police Department.”

The petition has three main asks. The first is that police officers begin all encounters by telling civilians that the interaction is being recorded.

By law body cameras are required to be worn and on whenever interacting with the public. MPD’s 2020 handbook (Chapter XIII, Section 15, Page 3) advises that encounters with civilians should begin with this statement by officers, “Ma’am/Sir, I am advising you that our interaction is being recorded,” according to the petition.

However, Donlon said in his experience with MPD, this has not been the case.

“Fear escalates many situations, and this simple statement could keep not all but some interactions from becoming dangerous,” the petition reads. “In the same way Miranda rights must be read to civilians being detained, we ask that this statement be read prior to all other conversation. It is already required by the handbook except when unsafe, impractical or impossible. We only ask that we enforce it.”

The next ask is that police officers’ in-car video (ICV) systems remain on at all times.

The handbook allows for officers to turn the system off if an encounter will take place out of view, but to turn it back on if the incident returns within view of the squad car (Chapter XIII, Section 15, Page 6-7).

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But the petition notes that if an incident takes an unexpected turn, there is no time for the officer to turn the system back on.

“The benefit of an ICV is that it provides a third person POV of an interaction rather than a first person POV like the body cameras,” the petition reads. “Cameras increase police accountability to the public, and we firmly believe that if we are trusting police officers with deadly weapons, we should maximize their accountability. The video from the car should not be turned off until the end of the shift.”

Finally, the petition requests that the Civilian Law Enforcement Review Board (CLERB) be empowered to subpoena MPD, review cases simultaneously with the Inspectional Services Bureau (ISB), and discipline MPD.

CLERB is tasked with reviewing and investigating claims from individuals regarding excessive force, improper arrest, and other types of police misconduct.

Currently, CLERB “is virtually powerless if it is unable to subpoena MPD,” asserts the petition. “The board must have access to all resources and footage pertaining to a claim, and the board should not need the permission of the group it seeks to control in order to obtain said resources.”

The ISB, a unit of MPD composed of Internal Affairs and Security squad members, conducts all internal investigations involving police personnel, as well as “other sensitive investigations,” according to the MPD’s website. The unit’s members are hand-selected by the MPD director and are “considered to be highly experienced investigators.”

ISB is currently required to review all cases before CLERB can begin its investigation.

“Although it is good to have internal accountability, the CLERB was created because police officers should answer to the people first and foremost,” reads the petition. “Some people distrust the police and its internal review process because of a long history of conflict.”

The petition asks finally that CLERB be able to directly discipline officers or recommend disciplinary measures to the city council. Currently CLERB can only make disciplinary recommendations to the MPD director.

“If the purpose of the board is to hold the police accountable to the people, the discipline of the officer found at fault should not be decided by anyone affiliated with Memphis Police,” the petition states. “We must have external disciplinary powers for the officers who we are trusting with our lives.”

As of Thursday morning, the petition has garnered 731 signatures.

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Strickland Speaks to Protesters, Commits to Addressing Racist Police Practices

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland made a surprise visit, speaking out against racism and police treatment of blacks Wednesday at the start of the eighth night of protest here.

In the I Am A Man Plaza near Clayborn Temple, a site pivotal during the 1968 sanitation workers strike, Strickland said he is “committed” to fixing the racist tendencies within the Memphis Police Department (MPD).

“As we jump start reconciliation and solutions to our problems, I think it’s important that first, we define that problem,” Strickland said. “Racism has been built into our system from the very get-go of this country. And although I think we’re the greatest country in the world, we were based on racism. It is literally in our United States Constitution. For 400 years, we’ve sinned. Now we need to fix it.”

Strickland was surrounded by local African-American clergy and community leaders, who the mayor said have started a conversation with him, to “open my eyes and teach.” Strickland said he did “a lot of listening today.”

“I don’t have all the answers and frankly, as a white man, I don’t know that I have all the questions,” the mayor said. “I was an adult and had friends my age before I even knew that black parents had to teach their children, or have the ‘police talk’ because if a black person, particularly a young black male, is pulled over by police, there is a much greater likelihood that something tragic happens than if somebody like me is pulled over. That’s wrong. It’s built into our system. It’s in our hearts. It’s in our subconscious. And we have to fix that. And I want you to know, as mayor, I am absolutely committed to that problem of how the police deal with black people.”

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Strickland said he will hold a series of discussions with community leaders over the next few weeks that he hopes will lead into “concrete actions. It’s not just a philosophical discussion. We will have concrete actions to make it better.”

The number one goal, Strickland said, is to fix the problem that “our police department and every police department across the country has and that’s how they treat black people differently than white people.”

“George Floyd was not the start of this problem, but I want to make him a start of the solution,” Strickland said, met with applause from those standing behind him. “We all saw the video and were horrified by it. But I guess I want to talk to the white people in Memphis like me. Quite frankly, it didn’t resonate with us quite like black people because while we saw horrific action against a human being. They saw someone that could have been their brother, or their son, or uncle.

“Because they’ve seen these stories, facts. They’ve lived it. Their family members have lived it and we need to be able to open our ears and listen to the facts. We can see with our eyes and our hearts, and actually the data that black people are treated differently than whites. And it has tragic consequences sometimes. I want to commit to you that we are going to do everything we can to fix that problem.”

Strickland said the plan is to generate action-oriented goals and have specific steps to implement.

One group said it has been left out of the discussion with the mayor, after sending him a letter on Tuesday asking for a meeting. The Memphis Interfaith Coalition of Action and Hope (MICAH) sent a letter asking Strickland to meet with the group within 48 to 72 hours to listen to the “concerns, needs, and demands for change.”

Wednesday Stacy Spencer, MICAH president said Strickland declined a meeting with the organization “by saying he was already meeting with ‘other activists and clergy.’”

Spencer said it is “troublesome that he is only working together with those who his administration has hand-selected.”

“Mayor Strickland represents all of Memphis, not just the ‘necessary,’ and he represents them all of the time, not just when the occasion arises,” Spencer said. “MICAH has asked for a meeting. Clergy of all faiths and backgrounds gathered together, stood in solidarity and asked for a meeting with their mayor. Do not allow the mayor to dismiss MICAH, its 63 partner organizations and the thousands of people they represent.”

Others responded with both support and disdain for the mayor’s statement, noting he is leaving some groups out.

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Opinion The Last Word

Justice for All: Existing as a Person of Color Can Get You Killed

We live in a scary world. A world in which just existing as a person of color is enough to get you killed. A world in which running, walking down the street, bird-watching, or sleeping in our own homes (to name just a few activities) can lead to threats, violence, and even death. 

In the wake of George Floyd’s death at the knee of a white Minneapolis police officer, and other recent violence toward black Americans, last week a black mother in Memphis, turned to Nextdoor.com to plead with neighbors for her son’s safety and life.

In a post titled “Nice young man. Don’t harm,” the woman asked for neighbors to look out for her 14-year-old son and keep him safe if they see him jogging, walking their dog, or riding his bike.

“The way things are happening these days I fear anyone that would abuse their position and falsely accuse my son of any random crime,” she wrote. “Please look out for him and protect him if you see anyone that mistakes him as a criminal.”

Her son is barely into puberty and she has to plead for him to be able to do the things that teenage boys should be able to do in America, “the land of the free,” without thinking twice about it and without fear or reservation.

But, like many, this mother recognizes the reality that life in America isn’t always just and therefore isn’t always safe for people of color. No one wants their son, father, brother, uncle, or cousin to become the next headline or hashtag.

That said, people are angry. And rightfully so. We’ve seen this anger and frustration play out over the past week through protests, marches, and in some cases violence. It should also be said that this outrage expressed by people now is also a response to years and years and years of oppression. It represents the emotional outpouring from generations of systemic racism.

The system was built on racism. It’s true. America was built on the backs of people of color who were displaced, misused, and abused. Now, we have laws to prevent overt acts of discrimination, but when a police officer kills a man in broad daylight, one begins to wonder whether or not those laws are actually protecting people. One begins to wonder if America has really progressed — or if it is regressing.

It’s not only anger causing people to speak up now, but sadness, fear, heartbreak, and exhaustion. People can take only so much before they break, before they lash out. Martin Luther King Jr. said “a riot is the language of the unheard.” Well, black people have been unheard for years, and desperation leads people to do what may seem unreasonable in the eyes of some.

People of color constantly live in fear of being racially profiled, mistreated, accused, or even killed. This is a reality that has to be addressed, now.

White people have never had to live with the lingering fear of being persecuted because of how their skin looks. Therefore, they have no right to dismiss or minimize the struggles of people of color.

No one should continue to be a bystander to racism. Your silence makes you complicit. Your inaction makes you a part of the problem.

No matter your race, you should be angry and fed up. Let your anger lead to action. Be an ally. Vote. Speak up. We cannot be silent anymore. We cannot overlook or ignore the injustices happening around us to our neighbors. Stand with those who are upset. Hear their pain.

Will George Floyd be the last hashtag? Or will his name be added to — and buried in — the long list of black people unjustly killed at the hands of the police? Will this be a turning point in American history? Or will it continue and continue? This cannot be the reality for the next generation. It’s been long enough. It’s a matter of humanity.

Police departments have to be reformed. Officers have to be trained to de-escalate. There needs to be a revolution of values. It goes without saying that not all police officers are racist or intent on causing harm, but it’s hard for black people to trust an agency that for years has not been on our side. In order for trust to be built, there has to be a change.

There will be no peace until there is justice for all.

Maya Smith is a Flyer staff writer.