America has a dark history of racial injustice that has had lasting effects up to this day. Despite numerous efforts to address and correct these inequalities, they have persisted since the arrival of the first African slaves in the country in 1619. One of the most pressing issues in the present time is police violence against black people, which is a leading cause of death. Statistics show that 1 in every 1,000 black people are killed by the police over the course of their life (Edwards 2019). These violent encounters have far-reaching impacts on their health, housing, education, and political opportunities.

Simply being black in America makes a person a target of racial profiling by the police, who often harass black communities for minor offenses or crimes related to poverty. To improve this situation, it is essential to decrease, demilitarize, and defund the police. Doing so will provide the necessary space for better education, accessible healthcare, and affordable housing for black communities.

Police brutality has claimed the lives of countless black men and women across America. The death of George Floyd at the hands of a police officer who kneeled on his neck for several minutes sparked a national crisis. Unfortunately, he is not the only victim of police violence in Minneapolis or the country. Black people have been killed by the police in alarming numbers, such as Philando Castile, who was shot and killed during a traffic stop, Jamar Clark, who was shot after a paramedic call and Christopher Burns, who was strangled using a chokehold. Their deaths and others like them have resulted in some of the largest and constant protests in American history.

The justice system has perpetually failed black people, even within their own communities. Trayvon Martin's death is an example of this systemic failure. If he were white, the incident might have had a very different outcome. Unfortunately, black people are often viewed as threats in the eyes of their oppressors. Today, the city of Minneapolis remains at the epicenter of the fight against racism as it struggles to address its policing, equality, and racial justice issues.

The phrase "Black Lives Matter" has become a rallying cry for people fighting against racism, discrimination, and inequality. It is evident that the criminal justice system is failing to live up to its basic premise of protecting human lives and upholding the truth. As black people continue to protest and make their voices heard, Baldwin's quote rings true: "Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced” (Baldwin 1). This means that change requires collective recognition of the problem. Today, as it was decades ago, the primary problem is racial inequality in America.

In the United States, racial injustices are prevalent due to the white supremacists who occupy the majority of the system. Since the inception of the criminal justice system, racially motivated killings of Black people have been a common occurrence. These cruel killings have left lifelong scars on Black communities, who have witnessed their loved ones being slaughtered by untrained and seemingly race-neutral police officers, solely because of their skin color. The term "Black Lives Matter" is a powerful expression of empowerment. Black people will continue to face the issue of racial inequality until it is abolished, and injustices against them are brought to light.

Black men and women's rights are continually being threatened. Therefore, the police must be defunded and demilitarized, with the resources being channeled to build and empower the Black community to achieve equality with the white majority. These actions will help them grow and live up to their full potential. In essence, America cannot achieve its name, 'the land of the free,' as long as Black people are still enduring the shackles of racial inequality.

Sources:

Blow, Charles. “Opinion | The Curious Case of Trayvon Martin.” The New York Times, 17 Mar. 2012, www.nytimes.com/2012/03/17/opinion/blow-the-curious-case-of-trayvon-martin.html.

Edwards, Frank. “Risk of Being Killed by Police Use of Force in the United States by Age, Race–Ethnicity, and Sex.” PNAS, 20 Aug. 2019, www.pnas.org/content/116/34/16793

Lowery, Wesley. “Why Minneapolis Was the Breaking Point.” The Atlantic, 15 June 2020, www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/06/wesley-lowery-george-floyd-minneapolis-black-lives/612391.

Peck, Raoul. I Am Not Your Negro. Magnolia Pictures, 2016.