In the span of a few days, George Floyd became a household name as the world watched his gruesome and untimely death unfold in front of us at the hands of a policeman. After listening to the “Global Legacy of George Floyd” podcast, I think it is incredible how his tragic death sparked worldwide uproar and caused people all over the world to look inwards at their own countries and their own instances of systemic racism and bigotry.

I found George Floyd’s influence on Māori and Pacific New Zealanders amidst a troubling time of increased racial profiling perpetrated by Kiwi police to be incredibly inspiring. Upon viewing how the American police system allowed for the wrongful end to a black man’s life, Māori and Pacific New Zealanders drew parallels between the situation in the United States and their situation. They noticed that New Zealand was edging towards a more Americanized police force and thus found the inspiration to protest the pilot program, which was primarily targeting minorities rather than white people, despite the perpetrator of the deadly mosque shootings being a white supremacist. Although, I find it quite sad that New Zealanders immediately thought of Americans and our failing police system because it makes me feel ashamed that our country, which is supposed to be a country accepting of everyone no matter their ethnicity, sexual orientation, or identity, is the world representative for racism and violence. It is a shame that we are the laughing stock of the world and that a country so diverse can still harbor such negativity, bigotry and racism.

I think that these groups of people in other societies from across the world were able to connect with the BLM movement because racism is everywhere, even if some people or places choose to ignore it. The BLM movement this summer served as an eye-opener for people worldwide that racism is still very real and that even if we do not all share the same country, we can all be a part of the ongoing fight towards equality.

An example of a movement that began in one country and sparked similar movements in others is Stonewall and how it led to pride parades worldwide. On June 28th, 1969 at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, New York City, four policemen attempted to raid the Stonewall Inn and arrest anyone believed to be crossdressing after verifying their sex. As bar customers continued to resist, a crowd grew progressively larger outside the inn and violence soon broke out. The Stonewall riots lasted several days, and in celebration of the one-year anniversary in 1970, pride parades were held in New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. These pride parades would eventually lead to annual parades all over the world, with June now labeled as Pride Month. I think it is fascinating how a singular event 51 years ago acted as a catalyst for a powerful worldwide movement that runs strong to this day.