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Black Lives Matter and Election 2016

September 1, 2015 By Priya Dadlani


With presidential elections approaching, all of Americas issues are being thrown at the
22 candidates. Out of the most consequential talking points, those of racism and police
brutality in our country remain pertinent. It is grounded in a movement with the hashtag
#BlackLivesMatter.
After Trayvon Martins shooter, George Zimmerman, was acquitted from wrongdoing in
2012, the #BlackLivesMatter movement was created. In the movements own
words,#BlackLivesMatter is a call to action and a response to the virulent anti-Black
racism that permeates our society. Black Lives Matter is a unique contribution that goes
beyond extrajudicial killings of Black people by police and vigilantes.
Since the movement began millions of people have joined the voice calling for racial
equality in the United States. The movement, largely driven by social media like
Facebook/Twitter/Tumblr, is growing as injustices to the African-American community
continue to happen. Michael Brown. Sandra Bland. Freddie Gray. Samuel Dubose. These
names should ring a bell.
Needless to say, this ongoing issue in our country has come to a head with another big
American event, presidential elections. The issues of police brutality, racism, and more
that are associated with the #BlackLivesMatter movement deserve to be brought up in the
elections of 2016 and it has so far.
On June 23, presidential candidate Hillary Clinton spoke at a historic black church in
Missouri and made a three-word mistake. While speaking to the room, she voiced that
all lives matter a display of her lack of understanding for the #BlackLivesMatter
movement. This is not the first time all lives matter has been used to delegitimize
black lives matter. She was heavily criticized on social media for this display of
ignorance towards the meaning and importance behind the movements hashtag.
On August 6, the first Republican Debate took place and the contenders on stage spoke a
grand total of 50 seconds about the growing concern of disproportionate police violence
against African-Americans. Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly asked Governor Scott Walker
how he plans to address the Black Lives Matter movement and concerns that overly
aggressive police officers [are] targeting young African-Americans.

Its about training, Walker began, and went on to completely dodge the issue of race.
Disappointingly, no more questions were asked about this issue, and no one made the
decision to speak on it for the rest of the two hour long debate. Coincidently, the debate
was held in Cleveland the same city where unarmed African-American child Tamir
Rice was shot and killed by a police officer for holding a toy gun in a state that has open
carry laws.
Bernie Sanders, another presidential hopeful, was delivering a speech in Seattle, WA on
August 8 when Black Lives Matter activists interrupted his speech and confronted the
audience and Sanders with their concerns over gentrification, law enforcement, and
school disparity in Seattle. After offering a moment of silence for Michael Brown, they
urged the crowd to hold Sanders accountable for his actions.
The move was heavily criticized by social media because many supporters of
#BlackLivesMatter saw Sanders as an ally, not the problem. This event came after Julys
Netroots Nation forum where similar activists interrupted both Sanders and fellow
presidential candidate Martin OMalley.
A call for equality is meaningful and necessary because no candidate will succeed if the
issue of racially charged police brutality is not addressed in the coming months. The
#BlackLivesMatter activists are working hard to confront these contenders with the
realities of being black in America, and no supporter of equality will be ignored during
this election. Those running to be president of America, a country built on the ideals of
equality, justice, and liberty, must educate themselves and speak to the country about
their plan to end police brutality and institutionalized racism. Otherwise, millions of votes
from the #BlackLivesMatter movement and their supporters will be lost.

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