Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, Elijah McClain, Steven Taylor, George Floyd, Rayshard Brooks, Jacob Blake, and the list goes on. The list of unarmed black men that have been killed by law enforcement have become a terrifying event for African Americans. A public health crisis that is in full swing in the United States, but has been relegated to the backlogs because of systemic racism and injustices. For over decades, the African American community in the United States has been treated differently than other minority groups, including the majority white population. There have been multiple cases of police brutality and police killings of unarmed black men, which has often become a national conversation that keeps going without an apparent solution..
In March 1991, these cases were brought to light when Rodney King was brutally beaten by officers of the Los Angeles Police Department after a high speed chase that stemmed from his arrest for drunk driving. This was one of the most salient and high profile cases where extreme violence of police was videotaped for public viewing. There was bedlam in the streets of Los Angeles that was the start of a chain reaction that led to riots and looting all over the country in response to law enforcement’s treatment of Mr. King. This issue sparked controversy all over the country that started a conversation about race and policing, as well as measures that could be taken to ensure it did not happen again. Consequently, we have come to know the names of black men whose lives have been cut short by law enforcement officers that were sworn to protect them. The Black Lives Matter movement was formed in response to the killings and injustices that compliment a broken system. It mainly highlights these issues in the United States and brings them to the forefront, primarily in an effort to create awareness throughout the country on the tension and injustices that exists between the African American community and the police. From organized peaceful protests to trending hashtags, Black lives matter supporters understands that all lives do matter; however, because of what is clear for all to see and the systemic racism and prejudices against black men in America, it is predicated upon Black people to remind the country and the world that “Black Lives Matter” too.
Rodney King was brutally beaten by police on 03/03/1991 
Jordan Baker shot and killed on 01/16/2014 
Elijah McClain was suffocated and killed on 08/30/2019 
Tamir Rice was shot and killed on 11/22/2014 
John Crawford shot and killed on 08/05/2014 
More faces of Black people killed by police officers since 2014