Image source - WSJ https://www.wsj.com/articles/racism-riots-and-blm-11591744661
2020 has been a year filled to the brim with events that will forever be remembered in world history. Two events, that have left a mark on the earth, and how society will run for the rest of its days... the Coronavirus pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement.
A pandemic occurring in the year 2020, is a world event where everyone, for the first time ever, is in the same boat. Since technology is so prominent in today’s world, it has made it quite simple to see what everyone has been doing during quarantine through apps like Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Twitter and Facebook.
I think most of all, people being active on their phones so much during the pandemic, has caused negative emotions of people, to be emphasized. With captions on pictures like “missing this”, “wishing I were here”, amongst other captions that indicate that people wished life were different. All of this combined has brought the mood of society, even lower.
Everyone’s lives changed, whether it was someone losing their job, someone not being able to flourish at the gym on the daily, nightlife shutting down, or university students and school student switching all of their classes to online or family and friends gathering...the list goes on and on, but the point is, it is inevitable that every single person - whether introverts, extroverts, poor or rich, black, or white, tall, or short, had a major shift in their lives from this world occurrence.
The subject of Coronavirus was rapidly dropped after the murder of George Floyd by police officer, Derek Chauvin, bringing to light all the police brutality that has been pushed to the side in recent times. Protests have gone on everywhere from all 50 states of America, Europe, Australia, Indonesia, the UK, South Africa, and other places around the world. Like Coronavirus, it is another situation where people from all parts of the globe are getting involved in taking a stand.
The Black Lives Matter Movement is expanding day by day, and the problem of racism is being forced out of hiding and out onto the table for everyone to see. Voices are being heard all the way from peaceful protests, to looting and rioting.
Petitions are being signed all around, people are discontinuing friendships that they believe don't serve them, businesses are being burnt to the ground, people are being called out for being racist, fights are breaking out, police officers are destroying their own cars to make the peaceful protests seem as if it were a riot, and people are being hurt. Many things are coming out of the Black Lives Matter movement. Some good, some not so good, but either way, the issue of racism is being entirely noticed.
Cities in America are currently in shambles from all of the madness. As MLK said, “A riot is the language of the unheard.” The accuracy of this quote is substantial to this global situation. With all the action that has taken place, and so many people being pushed to take some sort of part, the world patiently awaits to see what changes will be made on the government’s part and humanity’s as well.
All in all, Black Lives Matter is a movement that should be supported by all people in the world. The fact that it is even something that people are fighting for, is an issue in itself... when the obvious answer is equality for all humans.
I think it’s a beautiful thing that such a large amount of people are willing to fight for the rights of all kinds of people, because damn, it was needed.
2020, the year of change.