The indoor Black Lives Matter Banner at First Universalist Church of Rochester, taken by GaramondItalic, Wikimedia Commons
by Kamia Gray/Junior Journalist
Today, I’m going to be talking about Black Lives Matter because all lives do matter. I know you have seen the stories about how Black Lives Matter and racism are out of hand. Slavery ended in 1865. Lincoln had announced the Emancipation Proclamation two years earlier (1963), but freedom did not come for most African Americans until the Union’s victory in April of 1865. In December 1865, the13th Amendment of the Constitution was ratified. Racism should have stopped then, but it didn’t.
There is still segregation and racism going on today. Black people are being killed by police officers. A lot of Black people are being racially profiled and losing their lives. That’s why I wanted to talk about Black Lives Matter.
Ta’Kiya Young was killed by the police. She was only 21 years old and was pregnant. She not only lost her life but also lost her voice and her right to speak up about how she was killed all because she was Black.
Black Lives Matter was originated for Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi. Of course, not all police officers are bad people. Some officers want to protect our city.
Black Lives Matter just means that Black people’s lives matter too, and they deserve to live too.
My name is Kamia Gray. I am a middle school student, and this is my opinion on Black Lives Matter.
