It is 2016, and we are more connected than ever. I am incredibly grateful for technology. I am thankful to be able to communicate with people who live miles away, explore the ideas and talents from people around the world, and to feel more connected to my peers around me.
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Although social media is able to push the spread of ideas and opinions, it is important to dedicate time to looking into the facts in order to ensure the validity and credibility on these ideas and opinions. There are many articles and videos of people with strong opinions defending their thoughts that circulate throughout the internet, but that does not mean that we should automatically agree or side with them. It is up to no one but ourselves to become educated and fluent in the social matters of our cities, and then and only then are we able to form a cohesive and reinforced opinion.
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The recent deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile are nothing short of heartbreaking and horrifying, and as touched as I was to see the outpouring of support come from the spread of their names as hashtags tweets, I also became disheartened thinking that the majority of those making these comments won’t take it any further. Twitter can only do so much. A trending topic or a popular hashtag has the ability to bring light to a problem, it can bring light to the Black Lives Matter movement, it can spread opinions, but it won’t change the policies set by lawmakers, it won’t change institutional patterns, and it won’t make the uneducated suddenly educated.
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The tension between people of color and law enforcement is nothing new – it is something we are more connected to because of technology. For years, people of color have been disproportionally jailed, – and this is not a simple, “on the surface” issue. There is depth. There is a cycle.
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A startling 27.4% of African Americans live in poverty (the poverty threshold for a family of four in 2016 is $24,300) and within that realm, 45.8% of young African American children live in the same impoverished state. Counties with high populations of people of color are often dense, which impacts the education system. Quite frequently, public schools in heavily populated urban areas cannot bear the capacity that their district must face – whether it is because of a lack of textbooks, materials, or teachers. “Tight funds” and “budget cuts” are familiar phrases that superintendents and school boards know all too well. Since the funding that public schools receive is directly correlated to the level of income taxes from the area, living in a low-income community would certainly produce smaller sums to go towards education in comparison to middle-class neighborhoods.
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In turn, this prevents students from having enriched access to classes, friends, extra curricular activities, sports, and even positive role models like teachers. This leads to fewer high school and college graduates, and has the potential to spur a connection to the 28% of juvenile arrests that are black children. There is a 70% chance of an African American man being imprisoned if he is without a high school diploma. And if said man comes from a low-income neighborhood, where he was not able to receive a fulfilling education, chances are likely that he will not be able to post bail before trial. This does a number of things, including cause a huge disruption in family life.
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After being released from prison, having the stamp of “felon” on a record makes it incredibly difficult to find a job in order to support oneself, let alone a family. Even further, it sparks the issue of felon disenfranchisement, which excludes people from voting due to their criminal offense.
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Of course, to be in prison, one must have some sort of interaction with police or law enforcement. The treatment of African Americans and law enforcement has been under great scrutiny, especially recently. The racial profiling and unjust arrests, detaining, and violence between police and African Americans has come to the spotlight now more than it has ever before – but does that mean it wasn’t around a decade ago?
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No. Going back to the initial discussion of the power that social media has in connecting society, we realize that it isn’t that these injustices didn’t occur years ago, but it is the fact that we can more easily access information and news about them now. Nowadays, powerful photos and videos can be taken and distributed across all kinds of social media and reach vast amounts of people within minutes, thus causing that urgent sense of anger and awareness.
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The topic of systemic or institutional racism is incredibly deep rooted, and for that reason, I truly urge you to take the time to educate yourself about it. The Washington Post goes into detail about understanding why the death of black Americans in the hands of police is something that raises great concern, and it very nicely breaks down the facts and statistics pertaining to this issue.
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Police officers play an integral role in our society. They are supposed to be the ones we go to when we need help, the ones we see as safeguards doing their part to give us ease of mind and a sense of security going about our day to day lives.
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As Jon Stewart eloquently said, “You can have great regard for law enforcement and still want them to be held to high standards.” As of 2015, the FBI stated that they will strive for more clarity with their information when it comes to reporting on police killings and conflicts, however, there is a long way to go. Regardless, it is imperative to acknowledge that the shooting of 5 police officers in Dallas is by no means the right way to push for change. More death and more violence will not cause a shift overnight, but support, peaceful movements, and reform can lead us in the right direction.
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There is work to be done to ensure the spread of equality amongst races in the eyes of institutions – policy changes, altered regulations, a change in training programs, and more. And it is something that will take time to accomplish only after we are able to fully acknowledge, as a society and as a nation, this very real problem.
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I commend the activists using their platforms in the media and entertainment to speak about the issues that are so deeply rooted in our society – like Jesse Williams’ speech at the BET Awards, DeRay McKesson’s arrest at a protest reflecting his unwavering devotion to the Black Lives Matter Movement, and Vic Mensa stating his cancellation of a concert due to the venue posting racist remarks on its Twitter account. People like this are able to use their position in the spotlight to showcase their passionate views, and they have the ability to raise awareness among more groups of people than ever before, and they deserve to be appreciated for using their popularity for something so good.
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And by no means should this stop at the Black Lives Matter movement. As a people, we must be educated and informed about the problems that exist in the world we live in. Especially with the rise of social media, it is hard to go a day without seeing posts about celebrities doing trivial things, yet being aware of bombings, political changes, social issues, and more, takes more effort to keep up with. People are quick to follow socialites on Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, etc., but for barely any effort can do just the same to follow news outlets and credible sources to keep up on current events and important issues.
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But I urge you, take it past the realm of your keyboard. Join an organization. Read, question, and discuss articles about current events with your friends and family. Read the news in the morning. Write letters to your representatives on an issue you are passionate about. Be vocal with your thoughts. And most importantly, don’t underestimate the lasting impact that your actions, no matter how small they seem, can have on a life – whether it be your own or another’s.
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