In the past few months, the Black Lives Matter movement has created such a powerful movement. It has been the strongest movement in years regarding fighting against racism. The movement started in the middle of the year 2013 with a simple hashtag. Since then, it has gained so much attraction and attention through the power of social media. When I had first been notified about the Black Lives Matter movement, I saw it through Instagram on someone’s story. I was instantly intrigued by it because of what the post declared. It said that a male black man was accused of counterfeit, and instead of the police trying to talk with the man, they resorted to violence. The man’s name was George Floyd.
If it wasn’t for social media and for the power of sharing information, I would have never been aware of the injustice that many people face on a regular basis solely based on their race. After discovering the movement, I became very passionate about learning about what our ward has done to help stop the wrongdoings from happening. Many peaceful protests happened, one of them being on June 1st, 2020 at Gore Park, where a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest was conducted, safe covid-19 restrictions were in place, and masks were used and implemented. Hamilton also brought back HARRC (Hamilton Anti-Racism Resource Centre) which was very beneficial to the community.
Hamilton also helped make many charities and organizations gain more awareness so that the community is well aware of the resources available. Some of them being the Official George Floyd Memorial Fund, The Bail Project, Black Youth Helpline, etc. Something I am very proud to say is that my age demographic and generation z have been very involved in this movement. Many of the youth here in Hamilton range from various different backgrounds and ethnicities. Even though many of the youth may not have been directly or personally affected by this issue, the youth has done more than just their part to bring awareness. The youth understood the severity of the movement.
I believe this movement allowed the youth to really speak their minds and get so involved that they made sure their voice was heard. The dynamic they created was well received by society and the community. I am very grateful for the becoming of this movement. I was taught a lot about how the world works and how people are mistreated every single day. I learned to be more grateful for the community I am surrounded by. However, I believe that we have a long way to go before this issue is resolved and justice is served.
