George Floyd’s death came months after the world had come to a halt. Countries had shut down and people were quarantined at home in a collective effort to fight COVID-19. I think the frustration brought upon by the pandemic leant itself to the anger that was felt across the globe in response to George Floyd’s murder. Almost everyone was stuck at home, and there wasn’t much to be done but to stay home. The news of Floyd however, showed that there is another problem that people could put their energy towards to actively push for change.
The example I found the most surprising was Wandia Njoya’s experience. As a lecturer at Daystar University in Kenya, she received backlash for expressing her grief and anger in response to George Floyd’s death on Twitter. She received backlash from her fellow Kenyans as they accuse her of ignoring what’s happening within Kenya. And yet, Njoya is also silenced when she speaks about Kenyan victims of police violence. In the midst of all the conversation, Kenyans are forced to look at their own problems with police brutality as the problem can no longer be ignored. It is even more surprising the amount of power that has risen up in response to Floyd’s death: protests were being stopped before they even began.
An example of a movement that began in one place before spreading globally, is the fight for LGBTQ+ rights. Gaining strength in the 1960s, many protests and riots occurred throughout the country. The Stonewall riots of 1969 marked a vital point in the fight for LGBT rights. The movement continues today as same-sex marriage is still not recognized in many countries. In recent years, activists have continued to fight around the world, from rallies in Kiev(2015) to red hand protests in Spain(2016). These movements have occurred around the world in response to the grieving for members of the LGBTQ community who were targeted and killed. Movements like BLM and fight for LGBTQ are still works in progress, but the collective effort to progress resonates globally.
I was also very surprised by the backlash that Njoya receives for expressing her grief. You would think that people would be more understanding especially in such a blatant act of violence. It’s even more surprising that she is silenced for talking about police brutality and why we all must continue to never quit in our fight to make change in. It just proof of how some people really want to silence the movement. I like your point of how the Kenyans are forced to look at their own problems with police brutality, but the fact that they shut down protests before they even start shows Kenya has a long way to go before having a true equality.
Hi Nora, I completely agree with your first paragraph. I have always wondered if the Black Lives Matter movement’s broad outreach would have changed if 2020 was a “normal” year. If people weren’t quarantined, would the world have lent the helping hands that they did? Regarding the LGBTQ+ protests, it’s disheartening to know that after all this time, the discrimination of this community still exists. Alongside the Black Lives Matter movement, they both show that ignorance prevails even when times call for change.
I found it really interesting how you mentioned COVID-19 in relation to the George Floyd murder. I never really thought about it that way, but I agree with you. People were frustrated that they couldn’t go out and do anything that made them feel productive, so when they finally had a chance to help others, they wanted to as quickly and with as much effort as they could.