We Can Be Hopeful

A week ago, I didn’t know where we would go. We saw the rage of Black residents of Minneapolis taking place across their streets, peaceful protestors being lumped together with opportunistic looters, and I was trying to figure out how to somehow still be a college student and get through finals.

And somehow, a week later, I don’t think I’ve been this optimistic or hopeful about the world. In the past seven days, all 50 states and 18 countries and counting have protested against police violence on Black people and justice for George Floyd. And that, before digging into the nuances of what this means, who’s involved, and how we move forward, cannot be ignored. These are some of the largest demonstrations we’ve seen in history.

As you dig further into the nuance, we need to question and evaluate what these protests mean and what is being done to move forward. The way with which Black Lives Matter has been coopted and unanimously supported is in many ways tied to it now being a social “trend” as it is people who are finally realizing the institutional failures the west has placed upon Black people across the globe. What five years ago was controversial to say in response to Ferguson has now been spoken out by many corporations, politicians, and your neighbors who still may not believe in this. It is one thing to say and to even protest outside for the fact that Black lives matter; it is…