No Justice, No Peace
by Tallulah Frigo
Calls of "no justice, no peace" have been echoing throughout the city of Minneapolis since the police lynching of George Floyd. Another black man killed at the hands of a white police officer. Yet again, America is in mourning - mourning for Floyd, and for his loved ones, and for the shattering revelation that racism is alive and well in America in 2020.
Protests have erupted, and rightfully so, as people from all backgrounds express their grief, anger, and fear. These protests are ultimately a culmination of the anger that people around the world, across all media platforms, are feeling as the list of African American victims to race-based violence and criminalization grows - from George Floyd, to Ahmed Aubrey, killed only a few months ago by two white men who suspected him of robbery as he ran through his own neighborhood. These events reveal the tragic reality of what it means to live as a black person in America. The systematic killing of black Americans is an ongoing truth that we must acknowledge and challenge, every single day. We must acknowledge that living as a black American means a life of considering how you will be perceived by those in power at any given moment. It's a life of dressing in a certain way, speaking in a certain way to the authorities, making sure there's nothing that could label you as deviant - out of fear, every single day. This isn't a uniform that can slipped in and out of - this is your identity. This is the color of your skin. It is 2020, and the country still systemically and insidiously criminalizes and oppresses its citizens based on the color of their skin. This must change. It has to.
As the fires die out across Minneapolis, and the newspapers no longer feature George Floyd's name, we must remember that each of us have the power to demand justice and reform. Each of us have the power to rebel against oppression and state-sanctioned violence, whether that be through donating to bail funds, attending protests, sharing information with those around you, or taking your anger to the election booths in November. Most importantly, whilst watching the protests, we must remember that big corporate entities will be okay. They'll have their windows replaced, merchandise restocked, and stores cleaned by the end of the week. However, again, the lives of those killed at the hands of the police and the lives of their loved ones are irreversibly altered.
On May 26th, 2020, George Floyd was murdered in broad daylight by a white police officer, as he called out for his mother, whilst three other officers looked on. While we may know him by his full name, those who knew him best just called him Big Floyd. To them, he was a "gentle giant", a basketball player, a brother, a father. His life mattered, and so does every single African American life. Rest in power, Big Floyd.