Emma listed the positive changes that the BLM protests helped accelerate in the US and other people pitched in with their examples
There have been many protests against police brutality in the US in the past. But the newest protests could be the tipping point that could lead to real change in the way that the police operate in the country.
Sean Collins writes on Vox that what lies at the core of the protests is the fear that black Americans have of being killed at any time by law enforcement. However, to change that requires reworking society. Collins states that previous protests have brought about limited change but demonstrators are hoping that this time will be different.
The Mapping Police Violence advocacy group found that the vast majority, 99 percent, of police officers from 2013 to 2019 weren’t charged with a crime after they killed someone. The group also states that black Americans are 3 times more likely to be killed by police officers than someone who is white.
How long the current BLM protests will continue is anybody’s guess. There are small pockets of change happening right now. However, greater change requires sustained and focused action: society won’t change in just a few short weeks.
People might get demotivated and the protests might fizzle out if there aren’t larger victories against police brutality. We’ll see in the upcoming months whether these protests will have a bigger effect on the US than the ones that came before them.
