Nekima Levy Armstrong is the leader of Racial Justice Network, which is an organization that is dedicated to fighting for racial justice. Armstrong is a former law professor and an award-winning attorney who has been fighting racial injustice for years in the twin cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis and growing her network of allies along the way.
For young people who want to stand in this Black justice movement, what are two characteristics that they are going to need?
I would say one of the first characteristics is to know and learn Black history. Our history is so vast and so expansive, but we should at least understand what happened during the era of slavery. Look at those who resisted, in particular, to try to draw some strength and courage from those individuals who fought against oppression. Looking at the the Jim Crow era, and the civil rights movement of the 1950s, and 60s, a Black power movement, all of those things are precursors to the Black Lives Matter movement. Young folks should understand that this movement that we’re in the midst of didn’t start from scratch. We’re standing on the shoulders of the people who came before us, and who fought against and who resisted oppression.
I would say the second thing that young folks would need to know is the power of commitment. It takes a desire for change, for transformation. And to understand that this is a marathon and not a sprint, to be committed to the cause of fighting for justice, for black folks in this country in particular.
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