After watching the "Stay Woke: The Black Lives Matter Documentary (2016)" I had so many different emotions. It was eye opening that it was SO recently. This is the world in which we live in. The events in Ferguson caused an uproar. Activists all over came forward to stand up for what they believe in. It was unreal to think that people were being tear gassed by police in this day in age because of riots that were breaking out in the streets. The flash backs of 60's in comparison with images from the 21st century was CRAZY. Things that were occurring years ago are still going on today.
This picture was taken on the anniversary of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.
The role of social media is a blessing and a curse. I feel like it makes events so much more real when you see it with your own eyes. It gave young people more of a voice. They were able to connect with one another through twitter. Celebrities play another large role in drawing attention to social issues. When Lebron James was shown wearing the shirt I CANT BREATHE. This demonstrated support on a more public scale. When younger people look up to athletes and celebrities, it is helpful when they are supporting a righteous cause.
Kayne West has millions of twitter followers. When he tweets something out EVERYONE SEES IT.
"We are not the haters, we are the healers" - Reverend Al Sharpton. This is an important statement to understand because non-violence was always pushed during these types of rallies. They wanted to convey their message but do it in the form of a peaceful protest. This was something that was often overlooked. Especially when there are incidents like Freddy Grey dying due to a spinal injury due to Baltimore police is an example of a horrific event. Things become out of hand and it ends greater tragedy.
Another interesting part of the documentary was the Heraldo Rivera news cast. "I want you and fox news to get out of Baltimore city, because you are not here reporting about the boarded up homes and the homeless people under MLK. You are not reporting about the poverty levels up and down north avenue." - A man stated when Heraldo Rivera was delivering a news interview about the looting going on in the city. I found this to prove a really good point. It was almost like the media was distorting what was actually going on. It came across as censorship that portrayed these people as looters and thieves when really they were not showing how awful the living conditions in the city actually were.
ALL LIVES MATTER ??? "Our city is fed up" - Shannon Wallace stated in the documentary. It is videos like this one from Rudy Juliani that cause people frustration. Racism is real and statistics don't lie. STAY WOKE.
Hi Erin. I commend you for commenting on the effect that the media had on the situations in Baltimore. Since a majority of this movement exploded through social media, a majority of the events that occurred were found through forms of media. I always have agreed that the media distorts the truth. I actually appreciate that this man in Baltimore stepped up and questioned the media’s “truth.” I feel like that is the true underlying issue that is firing up the other oppressive issues happening in today’s society.
ReplyDeleteHi Erin, you just made me realize that the KKK was part of law enforcement in Birmingham at the time! People in power with those beliefs are dangerous today! I'm sure certain media sources in Birmingham distorted the whole idea at the time as well. It seems like FOX news was mainly responsible for the negatives that were being brought up against the Black Lives Matter Movement. It's ironic how FOX is currently under water for discrimination. Several lawsuits have been filed by Black women for discrimination by the network.
ReplyDelete