The Signal will be covering and updating news surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement bi-weekly. Updates will be posted every Wednesday.
The Black Lives Matter movement was founded in 2013 after the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer. Fast forward to today, and we are still facing the same problems and the same injustices.
The movement gained momentum this year after the death of George Floyd, who was murdered by police in Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 25, 2020. His death sparked outrage, protests, and uprisings all over the nation.
For a little over a week, the nation took the streets and protested. They demanded justice, not only for George Floyd, but for every single black body that has been unjustly killed in the hands of law enforcement.
It is important to highlight that George Floyd’s murder is not the only incident where law enforcement has used excessive and unnecessary force. Breonna Taylor was killed by law enforcement while she was sleeping in her home in Louisville, Kentucky. Tony McDade was a black trans-masculine killed by police, late May in Tallahassee. Sandra Bland, Tamir Rice, Philando Castile, and so many more people have died at the hands of law enforcement.
George Floyd’s case was not an isolated incident, seeing as this has been happening for hundreds of years.
However, his case was the final straw.
There have been a lot of events and changes occurring in regards to this historic moment, both locally and nationally. The Signal will do our best to cover these events and inform our readers of what is occurring.
Central Valley
In the Central Valley, we have had a number of protests and vigils held. Turlock was among the first to hold an actual protest right after the death of George Floyd. As protests have continued, there have been conversations between those affected and law enforcement. Turlock elected officials along with Congressional District 10 Representative Josh Harder have been listening and holding conversations with the affected communities.
Modesto held a Black Lives Matter protest on May 31 which was almost entirely peaceful until the end when objects were thrown and the police started shooting rubber bullets to disperse the crowd.
Oakdale held a peaceful protest that went south on June 3. The Black Lives Matter protest turned violent when a convertible passed by and threw things at protesters. Protesters retaliated, and a fight broke out in which two officers obtained injuries. There were three arrests. The Oakdale Police Department let out a statement in which they stated that they support peaceful protests but not violence.
Oakdale attempted to have another peaceful protest on June 6, but it was canceled at the last minute due to armed militiamen being present and putting the protesters’ lives at risk. The Oakdale Police Department let out a statement on Facebook saying that they are not associated with these men.
General Nationwide News
One of the biggest pieces of news to come out of the past few weeks is the arrests of the four Minneapolis police officers who were complicit in the murder of George Floyd. Derek Chauvin was charged with second-degree murder and the other three officers were charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder.
These arrests are considered justice to many, but it is important to remember that arrests do not equal jail time. We will have to await trial and sentencing to finally know if justice has properly rang.
It is also important to remember that although George Floyd’s murderers have been arrested, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, Philando Castile, Trayvon Martin, and so many other black folks have not obtained justice.
Sadly, in the past week, there have been so many more deaths added to that list. Although we can’t talk about every single death, below are a few.
One of the most recent deaths is that of Oluwatoyin Salau, a 19-year-old activist who was sexually assaulted and then killed. Although her death does not involve police killing her, they did with their lack of effort.
Oluwatoyin Salau tweeted about her sexual assault and that her life was in danger. Law enforcement was informed, but they refused to file a missing person’s report. She was found dead on the side of the road on June 15, a week after she tweeted about her abuse and abduction. If the police would have looked for her, she may still be alive.
Sadly, there have also been increases in lynching. There is a controversy going around as to whether these folks committed suicide or if they were murdered. There have been around 5 lynchings reported in the past week itself, with two being in California.
The California lynchings were the lynchings of Robert Fuller and Malcolm Harsh. Both were labeled a suicide but Robert Fuller’s case is currently being investigated by the FBI. Malcolm Harsh’s case has since been closed, but the pressure is mounting to reopen it and investigate it.
It is important to note that these are not the only deaths that have occurred, and just because someone’s death did not gain as much attention as others does not mean that their lives are any less valuable. Justice is being sought for everyone.
Onto a lighter note, a giant Black Lives Matter street painting was painted onto a street in Washington D.C. in yellow letters. This huge painting can be seen from an aerial view, and it is intentionally painted on a road that leads to the White House.
A lot of other similar murals have been painted, two being here in California.
On the capitol lawn in Sacramento, Black Lives Matter was painted in giant black letters. This action took about 5 hours to make and had over 300 volunteers. The overall underlying message was unity and awareness for Black Lives Matter.
In Los Angeles, another Black Lives Matter street painting was created in Hollywood, originally in the LGBTQIA+ colors in support of Pride Month and the BLM movement. It was scheduled to be taken down but has since been painted yellow.
Changes and Reforms
Hundreds of petitions and GoFundMe’s have been circling the internet in recent weeks. This, along with activism and organizing, has sparked actual policy change within the last few days.
On June 12, Breonna’s Law was passed in Louisville, Kentucky banning no-knock warrants. Breonna Taylor was killed while she slept in her home. The police barged into her home without knocking, and she was killed. Louisville police later admitted they had the wrong house and it was an accident. Although this law has passed, her murderers have not been charged or arrested.
On June 16, President Trump signed an executive order aimed at reforming law enforcement. One of the most interesting aspects of this order is that the president talked about a database that keeps track of police officers who use excessive force. Currently, police officers who use excessive force get transferred to other police departments, and no one keeps track of them. This database is intended to stop this.
This executive order also offers financial incentives for departments that follow “best practices” and get credential programs.
President Trump says he will not defund police departments and that chokeholds will be banned unless the officer perceives that their life is in danger.
