HCC hosts discussion on Black Lives Matter during Black History Month event

Feb 29, 2016

The lobby of the Houston Community College (HCC) Stafford Campus became the backdrop for a candid conversation about racial injustice. “Let’s Talk," led by Civil Rights Activist Tammie Lang Campbell, highlighted the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement.

The movement started with a hashtag, #BlackLivesMatter, on Twitter after the 2013 acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin. It gained momentum after the deaths of other black men at the hands of white police officers. These events have changed the way people talk about police brutality and inequality in the African American community.

“I have four sons. I worry about them every time they leave my presence,” HCC student Donna Donaldson said. “I never know what they may encounter when they are stopped by law enforcement or even stopping for gas. It’s a scary feeling as a mother to think about them not being here."

Today, the BLM movement represents a rise of new organizations and networks comprised of millennial activists from all walks of life, creeds, races and color. Like the Civil Rights movement of the past, it mobilizes large numbers of people to stand up for what they believe is fair and just. However, with the use of social media, the BLM movement has spread quicker and gained traction among this new generation of activists.

“We all have to work together to bring about change. We have to understand as Americans we are in this together,” Campbell said. “If we address the issues together and if we are respectful of each other then we will bring about change. Change does not happen without a fight. You must stand and support each other, and stand against injustice.”

Whether you agree or disagree with BLM, it has become more than just a slogan or a fad and the world is taking notice. Activists and demonstrators who use the phrase on social media, on their clothing and/or protests are standing up and expressing their message plain, bold and strong and without apology, making the affirmation that black lives are valuable and important.

The HCC Student Life office presented the forum discussion as part of a series of events during Black History Month.