Did the 4th of July Change Due to BLM?
COVID-19 is keeping NYC’s 4th of July activities small this year (but loud from the fireworks). But there was another change this year.
Many people were asking, “Can we still celebrate the 4th of July?” Yes we can, but we have to do better!
People questioning….even the way things have always been or holidays we celebrate is a start! Checking that things are fair and inclusive is also a good thing.
I still see people calling other people out for not understanding BLM fully. CALL THOSE PEOPLE IN and help them understand. If they don’t understand that racism is systemic, they aren’t going to understand “white privilege” or what’s wrong with “All Lives Matter.” Calling them out isn’t helping anyone.
The BLM Marches made people realize that a lot of things need to be changed in society and everyone needs to be antiracist. Saying “Black Lives Matters” is the least everyone can do. Parents of black children shouldn’t need to worry like Cheryl Wills, NY 1 News Reporter:
“I am furious that I don’t feel comfortable in the United States of America raising a black son ” — @cherylwillsny1 on having to constantly give her son advice to avoid being a victim of police brutality. https://t.co/BeU8FV1HEi pic.twitter.com/3a4RQUO7Gq
— Spectrum News NY1 (@NY1) July 3, 2020
On Youtube, there are a lot of videos that people explain first hand how they have been marginalized. Their stories will make you cry. Yes, some people are angry, look past their anger and hear their message.
On Netflix is When They See Us describing what happened to lead to the wrongful convictions of the Central Park 5 teens years ago. The acting is great, but it’s heartbreaking to watch because I remember how it was played out in the media.
Hugs,
marlene
Topics: Bay Ridge | 3 Comments »
July 7th, 2020 at 12:42 pm
The question of whether there is “systemic racism” is a matter of OPINION and people are entitled to their OPINION without being “called out.”
July 7th, 2020 at 12:55 pm
We watched Eric Garner die by being chocked to death a few years ago. Now George Floyd died because a police officer knelt on his neck as if he was no one. We can’t let people live like this.Parents shouldn’t be worrying about something happening to their children. But the problem is deeper than this. We saw COVID hit communities differently too. https://abcnews.go.com/US/black-people-nyc-die-covid-white-people-data/story?id=70208362 Finally, we don’t want any children feeling this way. They are kids and deserve to grow up without racism and hate in their world.
July 7th, 2020 at 2:34 pm
So if a white person encounters a nasty salesperson or a brutal cop it is because of the salesperson or cops personality but if a black person encounters the same it is automatically because of their skin color? You must be a mind reader. My pre-teen white self and friends were followed around stores on Fifth Avenue [Lerners and Woolworths in Sunset Park] back in the 1960s. We couldn’t blame it on our skin color. We were young with no money; it was reasonable for the owners to be leery of us. Guess what? We ignored it.