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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BRITTANY BOWMAN
Editorial Page Editor
Alanna Berger
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Brittany Bowman
Emily Considine
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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.