People are (merely) taught to see racism as individual acts of meanness. The problem is that non-black people are not taught to see racism as an overall presence in law, policing, and the judicial system as a means of oppressing one group for the prosperity of another.

Black Lives Matter is an empowering movement meant to dismantle systematic oppression and finally bring justice to the black community that is so often neglected, mistreated, and devalued.

For those who believe systematic oppression or police misconduct do not exist, here’s some perspective.

According to the Assessment of Culture and Performance of the Fresno Police Department,

by Michael and Edna Josephson of the Institute of Ethics in December of 2015, “a significant minority (often more than one in five) of sworn officers and civilian employees believe that the amount of misconduct has reached serious or severe levels is a genuine cause for concern and further inquiry.”

Considering the disproportionate rate at which African-Americans (8% of Fresno’s population) are stopped, searched, and arrested to Whites (30% of Fresno’s population), one might think that being Black is enough to be considered probable cause.

Although a portion of FPD staff declined to take the survey, this may be indicative of a, “pervasive kill-the-messenger culture in their unit that causes many employees to conceal or distort negative information,” according to the cultural assessment.

What are often referred to as “the good cops” are apparently intimidated by their superiors to reveal misconduct within the department and patrol divisions.

Although Fresno civilians are victim to police misconduct and racial discrimination, the problem is prevalent around the nation. A recent study published in The New York Times discovered that Black people in America are 3.5 times more likely to be killed by cops than armed or unarmed White people.

Black victims nation-wide never asked to become martyrs for the Black community. Their families never asked for their deaths to become viral videos. It has simply taken over media platforms as of late because of the simplicity of modern technology.

However, oppression, in all of its different forms, is not new to the black community. It’s only just now being filmed.

Police misconduct is not the only system of control negatively impacting the Black community.

Dreanna Brooks, a local 24-year-old whose family members have been wronged by the justice system can attest, saying, “there’s no way I can believe that there is supposed to be ‘justice for all’ because I sat in the courtroom multiple times for my brother’s case.”

Brooks goes on to explain that the testimony which convicted her brother of armed robbery was that of a cashier who claimed the suspect was, “a 5’5” Mexican man.” The injustice Brooks’ family has to endure is a 12-year prison sentence for her brother, “a 5’10” black man.”

Brooks says, “Somewhere out there a 5’5” Mexican man got away with 60 dollars and a pack of cigarettes while my brother pays 12 years of his life for a crime he was never proved guilty of.”

Brooks attributes this not only to the judicial system’s relentless targeting and lack of empathy for the average black male, but a jury that was too quick to convict because of racial profiling.

It is because there are too many cases such as this one, too many black lives taken for granted and underappreciated because of social constructs and antiquated beliefs that the Black Lives Matter movement is so vital.

Justice Medina, a local artist who organized a Black Lives Matter march in August 2016, is deeply offended by anti-BLM advocates who rebut the movement with “All Lives Matter”.

According to Medina, considering, “We’ve continued to fight for our lives and rights for years after being slaves to this country, after building this country ,” it’s frustrating that people still can’t, “say that our lives matter as well.”

Although the protest Medina organized this summer was met with extensive media backlash, Medina says he is unapologetic because, “There’s a problem here in America, the evidence to which is being overlooked by most, but the information is there. It’s just a matter of it being acknowledged.”

The irony of the conflict is that, “All lives can’t matter until Black lives matter,” says Medina.

The movement is not to say that non-Black lives do not matter, it is to make clear that Black lives are being treated as though they don’t matter, and that needs to change.

Pride and resilience in Black people is not an offense or an excuse to criminalize. To value Black lives is not to devalue White lives. We are only making up for hundreds of years of oppression.

So why does the Black resistance make some people mad? Why is it frustrating that a group of people value their own lives as much as the next?

Why do government officials, police chiefs, hate groups, and some of my own peers want so badly to silence Black empowerment?

The words “Black Lives Matter” should never have become a topic of controversy.