CSUN On Point

This summer, millions attended protests to voice support for Black Lives Matter in over 2,000 cities across the U.S. and over 60 countries around the world, according to Wikipedia.

The Black Lives Matter movement began in 2013 in response to the death of Trayvon Martin. The movement never stopped, but it gained new momentum after the police killing of George Floyd in May 2020.

This summer’s protests were also chaotic. Some police officers have responded to the protests with force — used both against peaceful protesters, and against those in the crowds who smashed shop windows and looted stores.

“My experience with protests have been terrible, to say the least,” said Kori Skillman, who has attended numerous protests this year. “I remember the first protest I went to I was in the middle of the street away from other protesters and all of a sudden this cop starts like running at me screaming…and then all of a sudden I get yanked back by another cop by my hair.”

Although protesters get arrested, tear gassed and hit with rubber bullets by the police, it does not stop some people from organizing protests.

Alexandria Brown, a San Diego Unity Protest coordinator, said her passion made her want to start organizing protests as an outlet to connect people to the news.

“I think just having the passion to do it, the resources and the platform and just being that gateway for people who necessarily don’t feel comfortable protesting,” said Brown.

The protests Brown organizes are peaceful. She says her organization makes sure to take safety precautions by knowing what to expect in the area such as rubber bullets.

Some lawmakers have tried to advance police reforms in response to this summer’s protest.

In June 2020, the House of Representatives, controlled by Democrats, passed the George Floyd Justice and Policing Act. This legislation is intended to hold police accountable, change the culture of law enforcement, empower our communities, and build trust between law enforcement and our communities by addressing systemic racism and bias to help save lives, as stated on Congresswoman Karen Bass’ website.

The Republican-led Senate has not taken up the House’s proposal. Democrats in the Senate blocked a GOP-backed police reform bill.

Although changes are being made, protesters want to defund the police. Defunding the police, will reallocate funding away from the police department to other government agencies funded by the local municipality. Protestor Taya Lee believes there has not been enough change systematically.

“It has been interesting to see different companies and different people step up but there is still a lot more work to be done at a macro economic-systemic level,” said Lee. “So I hope we continue to grow towards that.”

Brown and Lee urge the public to head to the polls and vote this upcoming election, not only for the presidential election but also in local races.

Election day will be on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

This show was reported by the following team:

• Nikiko Burnett, producer
• Tayler Lawson, moderator
• Tia Lawson, anchor
• Yahaira Joaquin Flores, producer
• Jeanie Rodriguez, producer

Black Lives Matter is a movement which began two years ago, after George Zimmerman was acquitted of the charges against him during the Trayvon Martin murder trial. CSUN was the site of a Black Lives Matters event recently, organized to bring awareness to students about the issues surrounding the cause.

One of the goals of the event was to teach students about what they can do to make a difference. Workshops were held so that students could learn how to become involved in the movement.

“The beautiful thing is, when we teach these things to students, then [they] get a foundation and they can use that foundation to move forward and help Black Lives Matter,” said Dr. Aimee Glocke said, a professor in CSUN’s Department of Africana Studies.

Some have questioned whether BLM’s decision to forego a traditional hierarchy and go without an appointed leader might limit the group’s ability to spread its message and accomplish its goals.

“I feel like that’s a phenomenal way to go,” Glocke said, “because then the idea is that there is a collective voice. There are different perspectives in it, and that includes same gender loving lives [and] black [transgender] individuals who have been murdered by the police…This is a leader-full movement, [and] this gives [it] an advantage, because it includes so many different black people in different walks of life.”

Another response has been to the name of the movement, and expression of the opinion that BLM should be focused on ‘all lives matter’, so it encompasses all ethnic backgrounds, but supporters of the BLM movement say this change would take away from the real problem.

Wesley Williams, the president of CSUN’s Black Male Initiative Organization, explained why the name Black Lives Matter is so important.

“It’s like there are two houses,” Williams said. “A perfectly standing [home] and a burning home….Because all houses matter, we’re going to water down this perfectly fine house while the other one burns. Even though one needs [the water] more than the other.”

“We’re getting murdered; we’re having the trouble with the police,” Williams said. “And other races aren’t being affected by it this dramatically.”

Another problem Black Lives Matter addresses is the media’s often unfair and selective view of Black America.

“The media embraces white supremacy and racism, so how can we ever expect them to give [this movement] a fair portrayal?” Glocke asked.

Glocke said the news media can manipulate the audience by showing only black violence, and almost none of the progressive work that is being done.

“How many news stations showed [the recent Million Man March]?” Glocke asked. “ The idea is here [was] a peaceful, wonderful, community-oriented movement, that revolved around Black Lives Matter, and that doesn’t get shown.”

Police brutality towards the black community is nothing new, but many Americans have become more aware of the issue because of the Internet. The internet’s accessibility makes it easy for people to share any videos documenting these incidents.

BLM has been successful using social media to spread its message. Even the name started out as a hashtag on twitter, and then the movement took off using social media.

“[The police] have control over media as a mass,” Williams said. “They own those. But they don’t own what I post on my Instagram, my Twitter, my Snapchat. Those go around and touch millions of people.”

Social media also make it easy for celebrity figures to get involved and bring these issues into the forefront.

“The people who [are] in a position of power and have the influence, [aren’t always using] it for good,” Williams said. “[These] are the people who the black people really need, and because they don’t care, is why white America [doesn’t] care.”

Moderator: Daisy Lightfoot

Anchor: Sarina Sandoval

Reporters: Jon Gripe, Ashley Horton, Daisy Lightfoot, Andrew Pitters, Sarina Sandoval

Social Media Editors: Jon Gripe, Daisy Lightfoot, Andrew Pitters