Black Lives Matter.

Article to read: Corporations finally believe black lives matter. Or they at least understand that they have to make it look like they believe black lives matter.From Microsoft and Peloton to the National Football League — the same league whose teams shunned Colin Kaepernick after his peaceful protest — they have released carefully crafted messages affirming that they are committed to diversity and inclusion, that they stand in solidarity with their black employees. You can ask Amazon’s virtual assistant Alexa if black lives matter and she will respond (Links to an external site.), “Black lives matter. I believe in racial equality.”This messaging is curious. There have been several incidents of police brutality in recent years and, back then, the response from corporate America was nothing like this. This time, for some reason, executives seem to have decided that their brands will be best supported by engaging in an elaborate performance of allyship.Several companies are making significant financial contributions (Links to an external site.) and other gestures. YouTube has established a $100 million fund (Links to an external site.) for black creators. Walmart and its foundation have said they will spend $100 million (Links to an external site.) on the creation of a racial equity center. Several companies, including Apple, Coca-Cola and Citi National Bank, have donated to the Equal Justice Initiative. Amazon will not allow (Links to an external site.) police departments to use its Rekognition software for a year. Both “Cops (Links to an external site.)” and “Live PD (Links to an external site.)” have been canceled by their networks. And after more than 15 years, ABC’s “The Bachelor” will finally have a black bachelor, Matt James (Links to an external site.). (Links to an external site.)A great many things that were supposedly impossible have suddenly become priorities. It’s a bittersweet moment because we always knew change was possible. The world just didn’t want to do the work.Each time there is a horrifying racist incident, I wonder whether things will actually be different. For a short while people say the right things. They lament racism. They mourn the black person who has died at the hands of unchecked police officers or white vigilantes. They vow to be part of the necessary change. They ask, earnestly, what they can do to create such change. And then they return to their lives. Public enthusiasm for addressing police brutality has to wait until another black life is prematurely lost to racism.I want this time to be different. I need this time to be different. There has never been more public support for contending with systemic racism and reimagining law enforcement. The Los Angeles Police Department commission recently held a virtual public meeting where hundreds (Links to an external site.) of Angelenos spoke — first for two minutes at a time, then a minute and then 30 seconds as the commission tried to accommodate everyone. It took hours.It was cathartic to see nearly every person who took their time at the microphone castigate the police department for their violent tactics against protesters, their bloated budgets subsidized by taxpayers, their militarized tactics and their general incompetence. People were legitimately angry and demanded more from public servants. Throughout the proceedings — which the police chief, Michel Moore, attended — the commissioners looked by turns bored, indifferent, annoyed and frustrated. There was no gesture to acknowledge the public frustration. They did not behave like people who were at all willing to rethink how to do their jobs. (Links to an external site.)If you had asked me, before George Floyd’s killing, if I believed in police abolition I would have said that reform is desperately needed but that abolition was a bridge too far. I lacked imagination. I could not envision a world where we did not need law enforcement as it is presently configured. I am ashamed. Now I know we don’t need reform. We need something far more radical. The current system does not work. Even during protests against the current system, law enforcement officers largely behaved as they always do, with blunt force and apparent indifference to the safety of protesters. They believe they are righteous. Burn it all down and build something new in the ashes.I want this time to be different and there are moments when I think it might be. While I don’t believe the ubiquitous corporate statements on diversity are sincere, it is at least good to see that these companies are aware that something has to change. But then you look at the executive leadership of these companies. You look at their boards of directors. You look at the demographic makeup of their work force. More often than not, they lack any real diversity. They have no black executives. Their black employees are miserable.In the wake of some of these corporate statements, employees have pushed back. They have described “toxic” workplaces (Links to an external site.), abusive co-workers, racist founders (Links to an external site.), unchecked bigotry, pay inequities (Links to an external site.) and more. We know racism is a virulent cancer — but it is increasingly clear we have grossly underestimated the extent of the rot.Sacrificial lambs have tendered letters of resignation. They have apologized for the damaging work environments they have created and nurtured. But in most instances, the offenders will likely be replaced by people who will repeat the toxic patterns. They will continue to enjoy their wealth without being forced to truly reckon with their racist ideologies.Something about this moment feels different, but I am not sure anyone knows how to move forward in ways that will effectively eradicate racism once and for all. I am not sure that the people who most need to do that difficult work have any incentive to change.It is clear no one is coming to save us, but we can and will save ourselves. We will do so by relentlessly continuing to protest and remembering that the anger fueling the protests is entirely justified. We will do so by tearing down statues of Confederate soldiers, captains of slave ships, colonizers and anyone else who rose to prominence on the backs of black or Indigenous suffering.We will save ourselves by holding people and corporations accountable for how they value black lives when they are beyond the glare of public opinion. There has to be more than crafted statements about equality. We all have to challenge ourselves. We have to consider ideas that previously seemed impossible. We have to take risks and make ourselves uncomfortable. We need to continue talking about all of the ways racism influences our lives.We are on the precipice of change. Public opinion is, at last, shifting. But even with the force of public outrage, there are crystal-clear reminders of what we are up against. The incident report (Links to an external site.) for Breonna Taylor’s killing by Louisville police officers was nearly blank when it was released, nearly three months after her death. One of the officers involved has been fired but none of them have been charged with a crime, more than three months after Ms. Taylor’s death. The sham of a police report was a pointed message: Police officers can get away with killing people and there’s little the public can do about it.If a change is indeed coming, we have not yet seen the shape of it — and the enemy we are facing is powerful beyond measure. Understanding this truth and persisting nonetheless is how we will save ourselves.Roxane Gay (@rgay (Links to an external site.)) is a contributing Opinion writer. Please read the following article on Black Lives Matter and what might happen with regard to change:Black Lives Matter Wants to End Police Brutality. History Suggests It Will Go Much Further. (Links to an external site.)Here is another opinion piece for the USA Today. This newspaper is considered to be in the center with regard to politics. Defund the police’ is a bumper sticker. Black Lives Matter needs a policy agenda. (Links to an external site.)Below is a chart of how politics plays a part in media reporting.Prompt:PROMPT: Will the current Black Lives Matter protests bring about any meaningful changes?Writing Task: For this assignment, you will add to the academic conversation with regard to the current BLM protests by making an argument about if you feel the current protests will bring about any long lasting, meaningful changes, in SIX PARAGRAPH (four to five page) essay.Your essay must have a minimum word count of 1,200 words. You can write over 2,000 words but only 2,000 words will count towards for Final Grade in your Final Showcase Portfolio. Any essay under 1,200 words will be returned ungraded and will need to be resubmitted with the minimum word count.Your paper must be driven by a thesis statement that offers a specific judgment about, if the current Black Lives Matter protests will result in meaningful change.Avoid summary. No need to summarize the source materials, this essay should be focused on supporting your argument with evidence and your reasoning.Choose an original title for your essayInclude a Works Cited page for your sources.Requirements: The essay should:• Address the assignment thoughtfully, analytically, and creatively• Include an engaging introduction and satisfying conclusion• Include a clear and concise thesis statement, laying out the foundation for your essay• Maintain audience awareness• Be organized in a logically progressive manner• Be nearly free of punctuation, mechanical and spelling errors• Meet the minimum required word count, typed, double-spaced, formatted in MLA style, and include a Works Cited page.Essay Structure Requirements:INTRODUCTION PARAGRAPH: introduction paragraph with a hook, title of the reading, the author of the reading, publication the article appears in, explanation of what is the author’s main claim (what is their argument), explanation of the reading, and a clear thesis.BODY PARAGRAPHS: Detailed supporting paragraphs started by topic sentences, and an adequate concluding paragraph. Each supporting paragraph must focus on only one aspect, trait, reason or point. Create detailed illustrations so your reader can “see” what’s going on. YOUR BODY PARAGRAPHS MUST INCLUDE SUPPORT FROM THE ASSIGNED READING. You must explain the Rhetorical Strategy the Author is using after you have incorporated the quote and how that strategy works on the reader. You can use “I” statements (this is a personal essay).Your last body paragraph must be a counter argument to your argument and must include a rebuttal. What is a counter argument that can be used against your position? Your counter argument must have a rebuttal (Your counter argument – rebuttal should be together in one paragraph – there should be a quote included. This paragraph should be the last paragraph before your conclusion.CONCLUSION: Full conclusion that ties up your essay. For this essay you should present at least three clear topics or opinions (each topic or opinion should be its own paragraph – so this essay MUST BE a minimum of 6 paragraphs in total – (the counter argument is included as one of these topics). Explain your answers and support with examples from any of the article/s I have assigned. You must use the SOURCE MATERIAL/S in all your body paragraphs. You are only allowed one quote per body paragraph (maximum of 3 to 4 lines) – NO block quotes are allowed. The quote you use should support your position. You are not expected to conduct ANY research and you cannot add your own materials. This essay should include personal opinions, previous experience and observations to support your thesis. Please put your word count at the bottom of your essay, after the Works Cited page.