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Feature
Black Lives Matter Founder Asks, ‘Are YOU Ready?’
After the lecture series Darmian Bull and Antony Waruinge talked about ways to grow Economic Devel- opment in Tampa.
Chris Wilson (Co-founder Tampa Black Lives Mat- ter) and Malik Waters (Student president of Iota Phi Theta. (Photos by Chow & Scott – Toby Scott)
ALICIA GARZA
BY KENYA WOODARD Sentinel Feature Writer
“Are you ready?”
That was the question Black Lives Matter founder Alicia Garza posed Tuesday to a crowd of hundreds gathered inside the University of South Florida’s Marshall Center.
Created in 2012 by Garza, Patrisse Cul- lors, and Opal Tometi, Black Lives Matter began as a social media call to action after George Zimmerman was acquitted in the murder of Florida teenager, Trayvon Martin.
Now a network of 40 chapters worldwide, Black Lives Matter’s membership consists of peo- ple who have joined together to eradicate racism from society, “once and for all,” Garza said.
That task, however, has been marred with at- tacks on the group and its motives, she said.
Much of that can be attributed to confusion on what Black Lives Matter stands for and what it does not, Garza said.
Contrary to rumor, the organization is not anti-police, but rather “anti-acknowledging what’s wrong with policing,” she said.
Officers are killing the very people they are sworn to protect and serve, she said.
Citizens deserve safety “regardless of how we look, our income, or where we live,” Garza said.
“We need systems that put that into place,” she said. “We don’t have that right now.”
Dismantling systemic racism that exists in law enforcement and other institutions requires “good people to standup” and point out failures, Garza said.
Additionally, Americans must not be afraid to talk about race, she said.
“Talking about race is not dividing our coun- try,” she said. “The refusal to deal with racism is.” Another falsehood is that the organization is anti-white and advances Black supremacy,
Garza said. “White people, we don’t hate you,” she said.
“We hate the system that gives you power and privilege at the expense of everyone else.”
As for Black supremacy?
“There is no such thing as Black supremacy,” she said. “We’re not fighting to mimic the systems we’re trying to dismantle.”
But Black Lives Matter’s mission is deeper than just calling out police brutality and violence, Garza said.
“It’s about our fundamental right as Black peo- ple to live with dignity and respect,” she said.
The focus on Blacks does not mean the dis- crimination and struggle of other groups are not recognized, Garza said.
“All lives do matter,” she said. “Black people
have been saying that since 1617.” Garza advised the audience to dismiss the
idea of “making America great again. “The old days are gone,” she said.
Instead, the focus should be to “protect what we’ve done together,” she said.
The time to act is now. “There is no wait-and-see-what-happens,” she
said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do. Are you ready?”
William Sanders of the Black Hertiage Festival with the program’s moderator Judelande Jeune.
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