MAP ’22: “I live in Florida City which is a predominantly black and immigrant community. Before BLM I would come into my apartment complex and see cops arresting multiple black individuals. This experience happened frequently. My family did not allow me to partake in the protests but I have friends who did and they would tell me about the many times they had dangerous encounters with the police. The BLM movement taught me that standing up for people, for yourself, and for the values and respect that create your identity is an indispensable part of our culture. Even though I am not black I consider myself an ally who wants to grow alongside those who don't have the privilege of being safe because of discrimination towards their skin color.”
“That a lot of people are passionate about justice.” -ANON
“Nothing new... that it’s trash if you aren’t white.” -ANON JM ’22: “Witnessing the BLM movement last summer just confirmed what I already knew about this racist country, but observing the police brutality AT these protests and blatantly in front of cameras showed me how bold and proud racists really are. This boldness is fueled because it is accepted and even encouraged by oppressive systems in our country. Like the police were literally tazing a couple of HBCU students who did not attend the protests, in their car on the way home. Breonna Taylor? Ahmaud Arbery? Someone can kneel on a Black man's neck for 9 minutes and 29 seconds and still debate if it was murder. George Floyd. America wanted to show us how much they did not care about Black bodies in 2020, and they succeeded. But we already knew that.” 12