Thesis/Motivation
In this exploration, the thesis statement is black lives matter is an official group and not a hate group. According to Chimurenga, racism affects the lives of African Americans in the United States (2). In 2016, black Americans developed the slogan “Black Lives Matter” to criticize the police brutality actions that were ongoing in the country. Research illustrates that the minority group began protesting and rioting as a way of condemning the actions of the police officers. According to Cohen, the leaders of the “Black Lives Matter” movement highlighted various areas, which the police had killed and harassed black Americans because of their skin color (3). Although the leaders accused the police of killing and attacking black Americans, they were unable to provide the requisite evidence needed to support their arguments.
Methods/Approach
In this study, I explored the COS and SOCINDEX databases in a comprehensive approach. Additionally, I searched for information from the local news channels, which might be imperative in analyzing the impact of the shooting on the lives of the blacks. Furthermore, I interrogated police officers working in the Central Valley region with the intention of understanding their thoughts about the ongoing protests of the “Black Lives Matter” movement (Ransby 31). In conclusion, I cross-examined a group of African Americans so that I could understand their concerns and needs.
Results
After finalizing my research, I realized that the “Black Lives Matter” protests were an effective strategy because most of the police shootings targeted black Americans. Moreover, I understood that the demonstrations should not only have focused on the white police officers (Day 2). In conclusion, I learned that the antagonism between the members of the movement and police officers might affect the ability of the officers to complete their tasks.
Implications of Research
The research will have various impacts on both the black and white Americans. For example, the research findings will help to create awareness about social injustice, thus, reducing the level of racial segregation in the United States.
- Chimurenga, Thandisizwe. “Black Lives Matter Is Not a Hate Group. It’s Official-Or It Should Be.” Economist.com, 25 Oct. 2016, pp. 1. Accessed 7 November 2017.
- Cohen, Richard. “Black Lives Matter Is Not a Hate Group.” Southern Poverty Law Center, 19 Jul. 2016, pp. 1. Accessed 7 November 2017.
- Day, Elizabeth. “Black Lives Matter: The Birth of a New Civil Rights Movement.” The Guardian, 19 Aug. 2015, pp. 1. Accessed 7 November 2017.
- Ransby, Barbara. “The Class Politics of Black Lives Matter.” Dissent, vol. 62, no. 4, 2015, pp. 31-34.