protesters. This disparity forces the finan-
cial hypocrisy of this country to light. In 
response to the jarring lack of PPE for 
healthcare workers, President Donald 
Trump stated, “the Federal government 
is not supposed to be out there buying 
vast amounts of items and then shipping 
… we’re not a shipping clerk.” However, 
he quickly changed tune when Ameri-
can citizens took to the streets to protest, 
mobilizing nearly a dozen federal agencies 
to “dominate” protesters. 

Right now, it is most important to stay 

safe and keep friends, community mem-
bers and loved ones safe as well. How-
ever, The Michigan Daily Editorial Board 
understands the boundless difficulties of 
doing just that when our country is fight-
ing both the COVID-19 pandemic and rac-
ism. The fact that Black communities are 
having to gather in large numbers during 
a pandemic to protest their right to stay 
alive, all the while being disproportion-
ately disposed to having higher rates of 
non-communicable diseases is not lost on 
us. This is why we, as an editorial board, 
encourage resourceful, respectful and safe 
protesting. 

Because of the pandemic, many indi-

viduals who would normally opt to prac-
tice activism in person at protests are not 
able to. This may be the result of immuno-
compromised family members, personal 
health reasons, working essential jobs, 
etc. If this is the case, there are many ways 
to protest unjust, racially oppressive sys-
tems from home. Considering donating 
to bailout funds for protesters who have 
been arrested, boycotting organizations 
or businesses that continue to perpetuate 
racism or exploit Black creators, research-
ing ways to stop offering funds to local 
policing agencies while simultaneously 
supporting Black businesses are some of 
the first steps one could make. 

Social media right now is a huge 

platform for activism, information and 
resources. It is imperative, however, to uti-
lize these platforms to the best of our abili-
ties. This includes active interactions with 
the media while trying to educate yourself 
and/or others about current events and 
how we can move forward. It is very easy 
to be passive when dealing with social 
media activism, a term designated “slack-
tivism,” which can, unfortunately, block 
access to important, helpful information. 
Consider the recent event of #blackout-
tuesday, where millions of Instagram 
users reposted a black square with the 
hashtags #blacklivesmatter, #blm or the 
aforementioned #blackouttuesday. This 
quickly clogged the media platform, which 
is an essential space for many individu-
als across the country to access real-time 
updates about protests or from friends or 
acquaintances, as well as spreading infor-
mation about resources, safety and what 
changes are being demanded.

While anyone is free to post what they 

want, within guidelines, on social media 
platforms, it is important to pay atten-
tion to what Black individuals are saying 
during this time. If you sincerely want to 
support protesters and the Black commu-
nity, it is necessary to examine your role in 
society and dig deeper into why these racial 

injustices continue to persist. On social 
media platforms right now, there are many 
resources made available and accessible for 
individuals looking to expand their under-
standing of topics of anti-racism. This 
includes education about the differences 
between structural vs. individual racism; 
a graphic about how the murder of George 
Floyd was just the tip of the iceberg; 
“how to donate to BLM when you have 
no money;” and comprehensive lists of 
books, films and podcasts you can invest 
in for the sake of your own consciousness 
on the systemic issue and millions of other 
resources. While the previous examples 
were all thought-provoking or called for 
active participation while channeling 
support (even if that means you just have 
to go to YouTube or Google and type in 
the link), many posts are much more per-
formative and allow passive, non-produc-
tive activism. While flooding feeds with 
trending posts may feel necessary to fit in 
or show your support for the movement, 
consider the content and the information 
that you are reposting and whether or not 
it is helpful to the audience you have on 
social media platforms. 

Protesting, showing support and activ-

ism can all be done in many different 
ways, especially because of the methods of 
organizing and communication we have 
that past generations have not had access 
to. Some are protesting in the streets, 
some are educating themselves, some 
are donating, some are having conversa-
tions with family members and friends. 
Now, we must begin to think about what 
we can all do moving forward and how we 
can channel productivity out of all forms of 
protest. How can we inspire those who are 
still opposed to the movement to join in? 
Can we have documented motives going 
into each protest? What elected officials 
can we contact to demand reforms? How 
can we incite change in our communities? 
These are all valid questions that constitute 
an institutionally complex, 400-year issue. 

Every successful protest and resis-

tance movement must adapt to address 
the unique circumstances into which 
it develops. Today that means meeting 
the demands of a pandemic that impacts 
everyone, but particularly exploits and 
ravages America’s most vulnerable com-
munities. This means continuing to lever-
age social media campaigns, defunding 
corporations and communities that are 
against the cause — a cause that is simply 
justice and a recognition of humanity in 
those who built our nation. This means 
fundraising for organizations that fight 
for protesters and supplying resources 
to those who need it most. As we build-
up to the 2020 election, that also means 
registering as many people to vote as pos-
sible and encouraging people to vote not 
just in a presidential election, but in their 
state and local ones as well. Galvanizing 
the spirit and power of the protests and 
converting them into political capital is 
crucial to passing progressive laws and 
policies that target corruption in law 
enforcement. Finally, speaking up about 
racial injustice, with friends, family and in 
every community is a must if America is to 
even begin to purge racism from its ranks.

T

he unjust death of Floyd is not 
an isolated incident by any 
means, nor is it unprecedent-

ed, nor should it be a surprise to any-
one who has access to news and media 
outlets — this is a tale as old as time, one 
that has happened to an unfathomable 
number of intersectional Black citizens. 
Closer to the University of Michigan’s 
campus, in Ypsilanti, Mich., protesters 
gathered on the afternoon of Tuesday, 
May 26, after a video was circulated 
showing a white police officer punch-
ing Sha’Teina Grady El, a Black woman, 
in the head multiple times. 

Building awareness about and a con-

sensus against these horrific, racist acts of 
violence has to be a priority. But doing 
so safely and effectively is important 
as a pandemic rages on and police 
departments continue to aggressively 
crackdown on those who speak truth 
to their power. 

First, it is imperative to offer a his-

torical context into the nature of policing 
agencies in America when wanting to 
approach conversations about the cur-
rent Black Lives Matter protests occur-
ring across America and around the 
world. The birth of modern-day police 
officers in America can be traced to a 
multitude of political, economic, legal and 
historical conditions. Most importantly, 
perhaps, modern policing departments 
can be traced to slave patrols and night 
watch groups, which were both mali-
ciously designed to control the behaviors 

and freedoms of minorities — most nota-
bly Black and Native Americans. In the 
southern colonies of the United States 
especially, origins of policing were rooted 
in racialized social orders and in the econ-
omy that so heavily depended on individ-
uals that were enslaved. Slave patrols and 
night watches assisted wealthy landown-
ers and maintained economic order by 
recovering and punishing both enslaved 
and freed Black individuals who did not 
adhere to white societal standards. 

The vicious and abhorrent rationaliza-

tions of slavery and racism did not end 
after the 13th amendment abolished slav-
ery in the U.S. With the rise of so-called 
vigilante groups who resisted abolition 
and Reconstruction after the Civil War, 
America continued to perpetuate deep 
racism, oppression and injustice toward 
Black Americans. Due to the traditions 
of slavery and racism that are, unfortu-
nately, so deeply embedded within this 
country’s history, these vigilante groups 
felt it their duty to uphold the narrative 
that Black individuals were sub-human. 

Coinciding with the onset of the 

second phase of post-Civil War Recon-
struction, the most infamous vigilante 
group, the Ku Klux Klan, was founded. 
Notorious for brutal campaigns of vio-
lence against Black individuals, “local 
law 
enforcement 
officials 
either 

belonged to the Klan or declined to take 
action against it.” Due to law enforce-
ment’s involvement with the infamous 
group, Congress eventually passed the 

Enforcement Act of May 1870 and two 
more Force acts — also known as the Ku 
Klux Klan acts — which acted to prohib-
it the assembly of groups with the inten-
tion of violating constitutional rights of 
minority groups. However, this legisla-
tion, along with many more legal events, 
has not suppressed the inhumane prac-
tices of racial abuse and oppression that 
have persisted in America. 

Today, we are witnessing the con-

tinued perpetuation of racial injustices 
and violence from modern-day institu-
tions against Black Americans. From 
being disproportionately affected by 
health inequalities that have been made 
most apparent during COVID-19 to 
repetitive injustices perpetuated by the 
criminal justice systems in America, it 
is clear that what has been done so far 
is not nearly enough. During this global 
pandemic, many disparities and corrupt 
systems have come to light — ranging 
from the exploitations of essential work-
ers who are primarily POC to healthcare 
inequalities and biases to precariously 
unfair shortages of protective equip-
ment for frontline workers — which 
has undeniably showcased where 
the values of our country’s leaders lie.

While our healthcare workers are 

“at war with no ammo” — forced to use 
expired masks and perform invasive pro-
cedures on COVID-19 patients without 
any personal protective equipment — local 
police forces tout a saturation of protec-
tive gear and riot gear when confronting

5

Thursday, June 4, 2020
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
OPINION

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Ann Arbor, MI 48109

 tothedaily@michigandaily.com

Edited and managed by students at 

the University of Michigan since 1890.

 BRITTANY BOWMAN

Editorial Page Editor

Alanna Berger
Zack Blumberg
Brittany Bowman
Emily Considine
Elizabeth Cook

Jess D’Agostino
Jenny Gurung
Cheryn Hong
Zoe Phillips
Mary Rolfes

Michael Russo
Gabrijela Skoko
Timothy Spurlin

Joel Weiner
Erin White 

Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily’s Editorial Board. 

All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.

EMMA STEIN

Editor in Chief

EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS

FROM THE DAILY

The history of policing and power of protesting
O

n Monday, May 25, George Floyd, a Black man, was killed by a 
white Minneapolis police officer. This incident was a final breaking 
point and has galvanized outrage from communities all over the 

country, sparking protests and calls for justice across the United States.

