January 13, 2016 The Skanner Page 7
Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Today’s Activists: Heirs of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement
Black Lives Matter is ‘a new Black power call’ using combination of old and new tactics, technologies
By Barrington M.
Salmon, Special to the
NNPA
I
PHOTO BY CHRISTEN MCCURDY
n the months follow-
ing Trayvon Martin’s
shooting death at the
hands of vigilante
George Zimmerman in
February 2012, a com-
mon question demon-
strators asked was if the
nationwide marches and
fiery protests would be a
moment or a movement.
The 17-year-old’s death
in Sanford, Florida, crys- Activists with Don’t Shoot PDX are pictured here at an August
tallized in a lot of young demonstration in front of Portland City Hall. The Black Lives Matter
people’s minds that black movement started as a hashtag – but went to the streets almost
and brown people were immediately.
not living in a post-racial
vention in a world where black lives
paradise and that, while more hidden,
are systematically and intentionally
institutional racism, structural ineq-
targeted for demise. It is an affirmation
uity and discrimination hadn’t disap-
of Black folks’ contributions to this so-
peared but merely assumed a different,
ciety, our humanity, and our resilience
less overt role.
in the face of deadly oppression.”
Shortly after Trayvon’s death, Los
Cullors, 31, executive director of Dig-
Angeles-based artist, organizer and
nity and Power Now, a group that fight
activist Patrisse Cullors joined with
for the rights of people in prison, said
fellow activists Alicia Garza and Opal
Michael Brown’s death at the hands of
Tometi to create Black Lives Matter,
former Ferguson, Missouri, Police Of-
which moved from a hashtag to a con-
ficer Darren Wilson in August pushed
cept embraced by activists in the U.S.
her and other activists from around the
and around the world.
nation to answer with direct action.
As Garza explained in a recent ar-
“We pretty much took it to the street,”
ticle, Black Lives Matter was “a call to
she said during a recent interview. “We
action for Black people after Trayvon
took it to Hollywood, shut down the I-10
was posthumously placed on trial for
freeway, and marched to Beverly Hills
his own murder and the killer, George
and Rodeo Drive last year. We’ve used
Zimmerman, was not held accountable
it ever since.”
for the crime he committed. It was a
In Ferguson, protesters held vigils
response to the anti-Black racism that
and marches and engaged in other
permeates our society and also, unfor-
forms of civil disobedience to express
tunately, our movements.”
their outrage that eyewitnesses said
“Black Lives Matter,” she continued,
Brown, 18, and, like Trayvon, unarmed,
“is an ideological and political inter-
had his hands up when
he was shot seven times
by Wilson, that his body
lay in the street for 4.5
The Skanner News would
hours and that a Fergu-
like to thank the following
son grand jury eventual-
sponsors for their support of
the 2016 Martin Luther King,
Jr. Special Edition
City of Portland
Energy Trust of Oregon
Enterprise
Family Care Health
Health Share
Home Forward
Kaiser Permanente
Macy’s
Metro
MLK Celebration Committee
Multnomah County
Oregon Episcopal School
OHSU Office of Diversity
Oregon Lottery
Pacific NW Regional Council of Carpenters
Pacific Power
PCRI
Portland Community College
Providence Health Systems
TriMet
Turner Construction
University of Oregon
USDA Forest Service
Vancouver Avenue First Baptist Church
Wells Fargo Bank
ly cleared Wilson of any wrongdoing.
Cullors said she traveled to Ferguson,
and over the course of 104 days of dai-
ly protests, marched with residents,
worked with leaders, organizers and
residents and helped leaders develop
tactics for their movement.
“We are a call to action to end
state-sanctioned
violence
against
blacks. It’s significant because it’s a
new Black power call, saying, stating
and declaring that we no longer accept
the status quo and that this is a broader
fight for Black lives.
“Everyone is focused, angry and clear
about the justice that they seek. There
will be victory. Even if Wilson (had
been) indicted, it’s a larger problem, a
problem of St. Louis and the American
government.”
The Vancouver Avenue First Baptist Church
“Proudly Presents”
The 10th Annual Drum Major Ecumenical Services
“Salute to Greatness Scholarship Benefit Luncheon”
Saturday, January 16th 2016, Noon
Vancouver Avenue First Baptist Church Fellowship Hall
3138 North Vancouver Avenue, Portland, Oregon
Luncheon Tickets: $30.00: More information or to reserve space, 503-282-9496
“Empower the Dream Annual Ecumenical Service”
Sunday, January 17th 2016, 2:00 PM
Vancouver Avenue First Baptist Church
3138 North Vancouver Avenue, Portland, Oregon
Renowned Keynote Speaker: Dr. Luis Palau
Pastor J.W. Matt Hennessee, Senior Servant