The struggle to uphold southern values and white power dynamics of the pre-Civil Right Movement era are evident in the kidnap and murder case of a young black teenager, Emmet Till. The crime and the results of the case serve as a reminder of the South’s institutionalized racism, especially towards black men who threaten the foundations of a pure white race. Historian Douglas O. Linder makes the provocative statement that the murder of Till “shook the conscience of a nation and helped spark the movement for civil rights for black Americans.” As we mentioned in class, Rosa Parks's refusal to give up her seat came two months after the murder of Till. This argument that Till sparked the Civil Rights Movement resonates in the current day context.
Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, and Tamir Rice are just some of the names that prove that there is still largely an institutional problem revolving around racism. These were all young men, just like Till, that were brutally murdered, because of the color of their skin. Till and these men all have something in common: they all served as catalysts for a movement. For Till, the Civil Rights Movement followed years after his murder. However, for Martin, Brown, and Rice, today we see the pivotal Black Lives Matter movement that aims to create freedom and justice for all black lives.
In thinking about these tragic murders, whether current or from over fifty years ago, I pose the question: how is the Black Lives Matter movement going to be any more different or effective than the Civil Rights Movement? Going along with the themes of African American Activism, it is critical to understand what kinds of organizing makes activism successful. In contemplating different modes of activism throughout the semester, intersectionality has become increasingly valuable in what I believe to be a "successful" movement or revolution. Justice and equality for one who is marginalized through stacked characteristics of identity means encompassing freedom for all.
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