The recent mass protests by thousands worldwide culminated in a crowd of around 20,000 in the nation’s capitol led by Rev. Al Sharpton and more than 150,000 in New York City. Protesters were united under various social media campaigns such as #BLACKLIVESMATTER, #ICANTBREATHE, #MIKEBROWN, #ERICGARNER and many others, all united for justice and an end to police abuse.
The protesters transcended race and class in an epic display of the new American diversity. More importantly, it also revealed that there can no longer be one transformational figure in a 21st century movement. The moral and public weight of the struggle is now shared among the masses united through social media.
America is not a divided nation, just a nation with differences and these differences are a part of what makes America a great nation. Sure, there are people with differences who unite and speak louder than others, but it is just as important to hear all the voices. Just as a choir needs all parts to sound whole, so does America need its diverse voices. Eventually, what does not sound right in the arrangement can be corrected so that there is harmony in the arrangement of social consciousness. At this time in American history, everyone living can once again bear witness to a nonviolent social justice movement within the most powerful countries on earth. But at its core, this movement is once again centered on the value of Black life and equal protection under the law.
