Why I Was Wary About Voting – Part 2. Black Lives Matter

The Birth of Black Lives Matter

The birth of the Black Lives Matter movement emerged during the Obama administration. A new age of Black revolutionaries became disillusioned with a police state that has terrorized, abused, and murdered Black people for centuries. The number of people killed at the hands of police skyrocketed from 72 in 2009 to 300 in 2010. Black people are killed disproportionately compared to other demographics in America. Our naivety became apparent. Believing that the inauguration of Barack Obama was powerful enough to push the country away from its racist past.

However, his inauguration can hold a certain amount of credit. The surge of Black entrepreneurship, scholarship, and excellence that we saw during his administration. Just the very notion of a Black man assuming the Presidency of a country that is built on the bodies of Black men and women. His presidency presented a possibility for greatness. Many Black people believed they could also attain. On one side of the coin, we are frustrated with the lack of justice many Black people receive when they are harmed at the hands of the police. On the other side, contagious energy to take firmer ownership of our culture and communities took hold of Black Millenials and Generation Z.

Black Policing

My main argument against voting is that simply changing the people in certain positions do little to dismantle the system they derive power from. The theory that if you hire more people from a certain community they are less biased to that community in terms of policing. This sounds good. But we have to understand that politicians are mere enforcers of a Constitution that specifically target Black people and minorities.

One cannot simply let a white majority run the election. Our ancestors died for a right to be recognized as citizens. It is a testament to them to exercise our rights as citizens. In a country where we are only about 13% of the total population, it is imperative that we rally together to ensure that something gets done. That change is happening in our governing bodies to protect our communities. Joe Biden gained the presidency in a narrow election in large part to young Black voters. In key Republican states such as Pennsylvania and Georgia, young Black voters in major cities helped push the electoral college vote into the Blue.

Young African Americans pushed for Kamala Harris to become the first woman of color as Vice President. However, while this is a moment of rejoicing and congratulations, she is not free from criticism. Her tenure as California’s Attorney General was complicated. She is often criticized for her regressive stance on criminal reform. She argues that she was simply handling the tough responsibility that came with the job. But how often are we going to excuse injustices for people simply doing their job?

Coming next: Why I Was Wary About Voting – Part 3. Trust in Government