Imagine yourself strolling through Central Park, and suddenly, a stampede of protesters fill up the roads. Hundreds of signs rise in the air, all of them delivering the same message: Black Lives Matter. The uprising captures everyone’s attention. The protest is aired on the news and soon, the whole country talks about it. The Black Lives Matter Movement’s purpose is to acknowledge cases of police brutality against black people.

Many celebrities have found ways to support the movement and share their views on the topic. For instance, Beyoncé, an African-American singer, performed a song,“Formation,” to endorse the movement. After its release, she’d gathered thousands of supporters. Another example of this is when Colin Kaepernick, the quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, refused to stand up for the national anthem because he did not agree with actions made by a few police officers. He wore socks that featured pigs dressed as cops – an especially vile move to many Americans. Kaepernick’s actions have divided the country. Many citizens consider them an insult to all police officers and soldiers. What has sparked such behavior?

The movement started in 2015 with high-profile shootings of African Americans by police officers. There have been more shootings in 2016 – some of the victims were unarmed. The victims included: Philando Castile, Renisha McBride, and, Lennon Lacey. The movement delivers a lot of hate to police officers even though a majority of police officers would never hurt anyone.

Many members of the African-American community believe that these few police officers are just not qualified for the job. They demand change. While supporters of the movement are working for a further improvement, all we can do is help and reassure the families who have lost loved ones.