As a girl of mixed race who has learned about and experienced racial injustice from a very young age, I think the Black Lives Matter movement is long overdue. It amazes me that people are only now learning names like Emmet Till and Eric Garner. I have witnessed police racial profiling Black people since before I even knew what it meant. I am glad the world is starting to see it too.

I really enjoy seeing my friends spread awareness about police brutality and the BLM movement on their social media and in their personal lives. A handful of my friends have been to protests and all of my friends participated in “Blackout Tuesday,” a social media event where people posted black screens on Instagram to stand in solidarity with the Black community. It helps me feel supported and understood by my friends.

I especially love seeing celebrities speaking out and protesting because it shows that they are using their fame for good use. I saw multiple celebrities participating in BLM protests and posting about different petitions and campaigns to defund the police.

As much as I love the attention that the movement is receiving, I cannot help but think people are just a little behind. Black people have been fighting against racial injustice for centuries. Colin Kaepernick took a knee in 2016. The Civil Rights Movement was from 1954-1968. The “Forty Acres and a Mule” Policy was issued in 1865. That was 145 years ago and Black people have not received a single cent of what they were promised. The present-day value of what is owed to Black people is about 3 trillion dollars. It is 2020 and we still have none of it.

I am hoping with all the attention BLM is receiving, Black people will get some type of reparations. Whether that be defunding the police, eliminating racial bias in law enforcement, or actual cash reparations.