For anyone who thinks protests like the one Black Lives Matter activists
staged at Netroots Nation two weeks ago are rude or counterproductive, consider the results. Democratic candidates Friday addressed the National Urban League conference and proved that they got the message loud and clear.
Here's Bernie saying the names:
Sandra bland, Michael Brown, Eric gasher, Walt -- garner, Walter Scott, Freddie grey, we know their names. Each of them died unarmed at the hands of police officers or in police custody. Let us all be very clear, violence and brutality of any kind particularly at the hands of law enforcement sworn to protect and serve their communities is unacceptable and must not be tolerated. [Applause] We must reform our criminal justice system. Black lives do matter, and we must value black lives."ands of law enforcement sworn to protect and serve their communities is unacceptable and must not be tolerated. [Applause] We must reform our criminal justice system. Black lives do matter, and we must value black lives.
Hillary said the names too and pointed out that racial inequality strikes at the heart of the problem:
The opportunity gap that America is facing is not just about economic inequality. It is about racial inequality. [...] Like how African Americans are nearly three times as likely as whites to be denied a mortgage. Or how, in 2013, the median wealth for white families was more than $134,000 – but for African American families, it was just $11,000.
A lot of people don’t realize that our schools are more segregated today than they were in 1968. Or even that African Americans are sentenced to longer prison terms than white people for the same crimes. Or that political operatives are trying every trick in the book to prevent African Americans from voting. [...]
So all of this points to an unavoidable conclusion: race. Race still plays a significant role in determining who gets ahead in America and who gets left behind. And yes, while that’s partly a legacy of discrimination that stretches back to the start of our nation, it is also because of discrimination that is still ongoing.
And here's some reactions from BLM activist Deray McKesson, who explicitly said he is not supporting any one candidate, just responding to their speeches.
Idk, I'd say that NN protest worked pretty well. Wonder if any of the Republican candidates—like Jeb!, who is also speaking—will say the names or even "black lives matter."