Has Black Lives Matter Already Won?

www.ozy.com Sponsored by Monday, July 20, 2020 In just eight weeks since the death of George Floyd, America has seen the largest protest movement in its history. And yet, the racial reckoning no longer commands the headlines it once did, as the coronavirus has surged across most of the country. Still, the awakening has already changed much about our world and our future. As OZY continues [our mission to Reset America]( — and as we mourn one of the nation’s greatest civil rights leaders — today we take stock of where the movement stands and where it’s going from here. john lewis 1. Legend in His Own Time One of Lewis’ final public acts, before pancreatic cancer took him Friday, was a June [visit to the new Black Lives Matter mural]( painted on 16th Street in Washington, D.C., next to the White House. “I think the people in D.C. and around the nation are sending a mightily powerful and strong message to the rest of the world that we will get there,” said the civil rights icon and 17-term congressman. Holding a cane, he spoke as a man who had seen the long and uneven arc of history. At age 23, he had stood a few blocks away at the Lincoln Memorial and declared at the March on Washington: “We cannot be patient. We do not want our freedom gradually, but we want to be free now.” 2. Crossing Boundaries Before “intersectionality” was a buzzword, Lewis stood up for civil rights beyond the Black community and voting rights issues that were core to his work. He stood up for gay marriage, [loudly denouncing the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act](when few Democrats did and directly tying the struggle for [gay rights to the Civil Rights Movement](. In 2013, he was [arrested for the 45th time in his career]( — likely his gentlest incarceration, as many of the U.S. Capitol police officers were huge fans — in a protest urging Congress to pass an immigration reform bill. 3. Lessons for Today The charter school network KIPP [recently dumped its slogan]( — “Work hard. Be nice” — saying the motto endorses compliance and submissiveness, and is insufficient for dismantling racist systems. Yet Lewis — though he was perfectly capable of [sharp political elbows]( — showed that both things are possible. He was relentlessly kind and loving to all those around him, even preaching [radical forgiveness]( of his enemies, as he helped tear down American apartheid and chip away at the cause of freedom. Let’s not forget that now. [time to learn]( [Presidents Out of Control?]( Join an acclaimed law professor, Paul Rosenzweig, for a timely look at what happens when U.S. presidents are accused of abusing their power. OZY is excited to partner with [The Great Courses Plus]( to give you a free month to take classes like [Investigating American Presidents]( from the comfort of your own home. Sign up through OZY today for [one free month](. [Start Free Trial]( real change 1. The Public Is Moving [Polls show]( that Black Lives Matter is the biggest protest movement in American history, in terms of the sheer numbers of participants. And beyond the tens of millions who have marched, Americans are [changing their minds on race](: A majority now say police are more prone to use excessive force against Black people, and three-fourths say racial discrimination is a “big problem.” What's happening now with activism in your community? [Tag us on Instagram]( and show us. 2. Police Power Wanes “Defund the Police” is catching on as more than a slogan. [Local authorities]( are moving money from the police department to other priorities in Minneapolis, Portland, Baltimore, Hartford, Los Angeles and more. Colorado enacted a [sweeping police reform]( law that would bypass “qualified immunity” for officers facing lawsuits for their actions on the job, and [Massachusetts is moving forward]( on a similar effort. 3. Stars and Barred The Confederacy is facing its biggest loss since 1865. Statues of rebel leaders are being pulled down — some legally, some by force — as places like [Richmond’s Monument Avenue]( undergo an overdue makeover. Meanwhile, Mississippi lawmakers removed the Confederate battle emblem from its state flag, and NASCAR banned the Confederate battle flag at races. What’s next? Look for more debate around whether and how to honor slave-owning Founding Fathers — and a [swift move in 2021]( to erect a statue of John Lewis in the U.S. Capitol to replace Confederate vice president Alexander Stephens (who gave the despicable [“cornerstone” speech]( at the start of the Civil War). [Reset America: Join the Movement]( Now you can join our campaign to refocus the world's attention on issues of race, racism, policing and protests by getting your hands on a brand new line of [exclusive #ResetAmerica merchandise](. All profits go to the racial justice organization of your choice, so now you can do good while looking good. [Get it today](. [Shop Now]( justice for the fallen 1. George Floyd Four officers have been charged in Floyd’s killing in Minneapolis that sparked the protests. Officer Derek Chauvin is charged with second degree murder, the three bystanders for aiding and abetting the murder. They have not yet entered pleas, and a [judge has issued a gag order]( to attorneys given the media glare. 2. Breonna Taylor There are still no charges for any of the officers involved in Taylor’s killing by officers serving a no-knock warrant — though one officer has been fired — while [a new lawsuit alleges]( that Taylor was alive for at least five minutes after being shot but was not given medical attention. 3. Rayshard Brooks Officer Garrett Rolfe was charged with killing Brooks, who was shot in the back at a Wendy’s, and Atlanta’s police chief has resigned. The site of the murder turned into a shrine, but also became [a magnet for violence](— an 8-year-old was gunned down there, leading Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms to order the restaurant demolished. Rolfe [was released from jail]( on a $500,000 bond. what's next 1. Escalation in Portland Protests have been largely quiet in recent weeks — though there are still smaller marches and actions in places like [Milwaukee]( and Louisville, the home of Breonna Taylor. But continued protests in Portland, met with a [crackdown by President Donald Trump’s federal law enforcement](, make this the new epicenter. Expect more clashes to come here. [2. SCOTUS Paves the Way]( Following its surprising and sweeping ruling in favor of Native American tribes in Oklahoma, the U.S. Supreme Court could well become a racial justice proving ground. Conservatives such as Clarence Thomas have already expressed their skepticism of “qualified immunity” for police officers, and the court also could lower the standard needed to prove that laws and government actions are discriminatory. [Read more on OZY]( 3. Media Upheaval A massive row is [under way in America’s leading media institutions]( about the nature of diversity and who deserves a platform. An [open letter in Harper’s magazine]( decrying cancel culture sparked a furious debate, as the departures of Bari Weiss from the New York Times and Andrew Sullivan from New York Magazine raised questions about how conservative views are tolerated in liberal institutions. Meanwhile, the top writer for Tucker Carlson’s Fox News show was forced out after his [white supremacist writings came to light](. Expect yet more ideological sorting in the media to come. black lives matter abroad [1. France Still Fighting]( Sunday was the fourth anniversary of the death of Black man Adama Traoré in police custody, and [thousands of protesters took to the streets of a Paris suburb](to mark the occasion. It’s a sign that the movement, fueled by Floyd’s death, isn’t going away. [Read more about the protest leader, Traoré’s sister, on OZY]( 2. K-Pop’s Reckoning The globally popular South Korean music known as “K-pop” has been identified with political activism of late, with hit group BTS taking stands and K-pop fans messing with the Trump campaign by ordering up tickets to his Tulsa rally. But considering that many of its fans — and songwriters — are Black, [the industry is now facing an overdue reckoning]( with its own racial difficulties. 3. Cricket Takes a Knee Last week, the England and the West Indies teams started what was the first international cricket game since the pandemic by [jointly taking the knee]( in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Over in South Africa, rising Black fast bowler Lungi Ngidi demanded that the country's cricket administration publicly support Black Lives Matter. A handful of former white players criticized him, arguing that he should be as concerned about white farmers who have been killed in the country. But then, a flood of top current and former South African cricketers across racial lines [publicly endorsed Ngidi](, some even acknowledging their own past ignorance of the deep racial wounds that continue to scar cricket in South Africa. Something has definitely changed. emerging change-makers [1. Cameron Whitten]( The prominent Portland activist has launched a Black Resilience Fund — essentially a small-scale version of reparations — and been overwhelmed with donations in its early weeks. Whitten was dealt a setback when he lost a local political race, but the 29-year-old is not going anywhere. [Read more on OZY]( 2. Anonymous Brazilian Police Victim Cell phone video capturing a [police officer putting his foot on a Black woman’s neck]( in Sao Paolo is roiling Brazil. The 51-year-old woman has spoken out while shielding her identity out of safety concerns, while the police officer has been suspended pending an investigation. The incident has drawn comparisons to George Floyd as it sparks heightened scrutiny on police brutality in the city. 3. Ralph Clark The [ShotSpotter chief]( is one of the few Black tech CEOs out there, and he’s on the front lines of these debates in another way: His company works with the NYPD and other law enforcement organizations to deploy its acoustic technology to identify gunshots so police can respond quickly. Clark, who’s [had his own racially charged tension with police](, says his company’s technology can help law enforcement serve minority communities rather than simply overpolice them. challenges and controversies [1. Black Men, Do Better]( While the saying “men are trash” and other anti-patriarchal expressions like it[have been social norms]( for some time now, Black men in particular are being called upon to simply be better. As[Noname](, a poet, rapper, activist and founder of a book club, put it recently in a[tweet](: “No. I love Black men. I have a deep hatred towards the actions or silence which uphold a system of patriarchy that harms women and trans/gender non-conforming folks. I don't hate individuals, I hate the systems they reproduce.” She also gave them a reading assignment: [Captive Genders: Trans Embodiment and the Prison Industrial Complex](. [Read more about Noname on OZY]( 2. Cultural Blind Spots After he was fired by ViacomCBS, Nick Cannon issued a[lengthy apology]( over the weekend for anti-Semitic comments on his podcast. But it highlights a bigger problem in the Black community: cultural blind spots. [DeSean Jackson]( (pictured), Allen Iverson, Stephen Jackson and many more have stumbled into anti-Semitism in recent weeks or are wondering why [Cannon’s statements]( were wrong, because they are uninformed about the history of discrimination against Jews. Fixing the problem will require better education — and a self-check among Black people. 3. Statue of Limitations The frenzy to remove symbols of the Confederacy from public squares makes total sense to most Americans. But as monuments for figures like founding father [Thomas Jefferson]( and Catholic missionary and America’s first Hispanic saint [Junipero Serra]( are cast aside, the terrain gets a little more rocky. Some are even advocating taking down [Washington’s Emancipation Memorial of Abraham Lincoln](, which was funded by freed slaves. The excesses of symbol and statue removal could come back to haunt protesters. Where does the movement need to do better? [Tweet at us]( and let us know. politically speaking 1. Campaign Game By casting Joe Biden as wanting to “destroy the suburbs” and running ads showing violent protesters, Trump is harping on a “law and order” message of white fear to win reelection. While Trump did sign a modest executive order on police reform, he’s now gone full throttle in [defending the Confederate flag]( and vowing to rewrite [Obama-era housing discrimination regulations](. Polls show it’s not working, with Biden ahead on [handling race relations]( — but Trump’s play here is to rev up a base let down by his handling of the coronavirus. 2. Biden’s Dance The presumed Democratic nominee has been careful not to embrace “defund the police,” but [a joint task force]( between his campaign and liberal rival Bernie Sanders has [come up with plans]( to end private prisons, eliminate cash bail, create federal use-of-force guidelines and more. It’s a long way from Biden’s support for the punitive 1994 crime bill. 3. L.A. Lights The most important race this fall for justice reform may well be a [district attorney campaign in Los Angeles](, where career prosecutor Jackie Lacey faces the more reform-minded George Gascón to help oversee America’s biggest court system. 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