Why BLM is So Important

As a young child, it did not take long to understand I was different from those around me. I remember being at Mall Of The Mainland, waiting for my mom to get her nails done, and she gave me money to play in the play area there. There was another girl of the Caucasian race with whom I tried to play. Her response was, “No, she is Black.” As a six-year-old, That was my first experience with understanding Black might not equal positivity for other.

As a Black, female, Black Lives Matter (BLM) is important to me because I could be the next Breonna Taylor, a person who went from being in her home in which she thought she was safe, to being murdered accidentally. This creates a sense of anxiety for me. For years even before I was alive, African Americans have had it harder than others. From slavery to police brutality, African Americans appear to be the main victims of unjust circumstances.

The BLM movement began in 2013, following the unfortunate death of Trayvon Martin. Since then, BLM has not let up on its priority to show how Black Lives Do Matter. Often, people think that by supporting BLM, you are saying others do not matter. This is completely untrue. By embracing others who have been through traumatic experiences within our nation, it shows how much you care about others.

Black Lives Matter has been more than a movement; it has become a way of life for some people. After many unfortunate Black deaths, people are beginning to join this movement because they believe in what BLM stands for, which is equality. People are spending their days focused on this movement and are making a difference in the world around them.

What Black Lives Matter means for Texas is that we need to step it up. Texas, as a state, has a responsibility to continue to improve the quality of life for those who live here. In many research studies, Texas is a top state for police brutality in the United States of America. Black Lives Matter means to Texas we are not doing something right. Black Lives Matter means to Texas that we need to do something different.

As a Galveston County born and raised resident, this moves me because this means to me that we also have a lot of work to do here locally. Outside of police brutality, there have been a lot of violent Black deaths here within the last year. A week does not go by that I don't see either someone who I know from somewhere, or who is connected to someone I know, who has passed away here locally. What this movement means to me, being a person from this area, is that we have to come together to make a

difference.

Black Lives Matter affects this area positively. It provides a safe, positive space for people who have felt wronged in the African American culture, and connects them to others who can stand next to them to advocate with and for them. More people can get involved by going to the Black Lives Matter website, Facebook page, and/or Instagram. BLM posts rallies and events, including zoom calls since COVID. There

is no cost besides time to get involved. Like many nonprofits those who do not have the time can also donate monetary gifts. All businesses have a responsibility to ensure they are advocating as well. This is something that I am trying to do with my nonprofit Craving for Change Foundation, where we offer career exploration, scholarship assistance, and college transition assistance to teenagers. We also have a

mentorship program in which students in need are matched with someone positive who they can look to for support.

For more information, visit https://cravingforachangefoundation.com/.