A 27-year-old man arrested on suspicion of barreling into a Black Lives Matter protest on a closed Seattle freeway, killing one demonstrator and seriously injuring another, was charged Wednesday with vehicular homicide, vehicular assault and reckless driving, authorities said.

The King County prosecuting attorney filed charges against Dawit Kelete in the deadly incident early Saturday on Interstate 5 in Seattle, according to court documents.

Charges could be added as the investigation continues, authorities said.

Protester Summer Taylor, 24, was pronounced dead at a local hospital hours after Kelete allegedly drove his white Jaguar onto a closed section of the interstate where ongoing demonstrations have been occurring, and slammed into Taylor and another protester, Diaz Love, 32, who was seriously injured, police said.

Emergency personnel work at the site where a driver sped through a protest-related closure on the Interstate 5 freeway in Seattle, July 4, 2020.

Love suffered multiple leg and arm fractures, and remained hospitalized for at least four days after the crash, according to the charging documents.

Surveillance video captured the 2013 Jaguar apparently speeding down the freeway, swerving around cars supporting the protest that were blocking the lanes, and striking Taylor and Love, who were walking on the shoulder. The blow knocked them into the air, over the roof of the vehicle, and onto the pavement.

According to the charging documents, Kelete allegedly did not slow down as he drove on the shoulder.

A photo of Summer Taylor, who suffered critical injuries and died after being hit by a car while protesting on July 4, 2020, sits among flowers at the King County Correctional Facility where a hearing was held for the suspect, July 6, 2020, in Seattle.

The incident unfolded at about 1:40 a.m. when the driver allegedly entered the closed freeway by going the wrong way on an exit ramp, and drove at high speed toward a crowd of people protesting the police-involved death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, authorities said.

State police said the Jaguar continued to drive south on the freeway and was chased by a protester in a car for about a mile before the car managed to get in front of the Jaguar. According to a police report released by prosecutors, the driver of the Jaguar was able to steer around the protester's car and keep going.

After the crash Seattle police and Washington state police officers quickly located the suspected hit-and-run car and pulled it over, according to the report. The vehicle sustained heavy front-end damage and a shattered windshield, authorities said.

Kelete, who was identified as the driver and registered owner of the car, was given field sobriety tests and volunteered to take a Breathalyzer test at the scene, according to the report.

"It was determined the driver was not impaired," court documents said. "The driver was sullen throughout his time in custody. At one point, he asked if the injured pedestrians were okay."

He denied taking any medication, according to the charging documents. Later, Kelete allegedly told jail personnel that he struggles with an untreated Percocet addiction, the documents said.

The results of a blood test approved several hours after the crash are pending. A substance that "appears similar to crystal methamphetamine" recovered from Kelete's car is also pending testing, according to the charging documents.

Kelete is expected to enter a plea at his arraignment on July 22.

Police are still investigating a motive for the attack.

Dawit Kelete wears handcuffs chained to his waist as he walks into a court appearance, July 6, 2020, in Seattle.

Kelete, who was described in the police report as Black, was initially arrested on suspicion of vehicular assault. He appeared in court on Monday and a judge set his bail at $1.2 million.

Taylor was pronounced dead after being taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Love, of Bellingham, Washington, remains in serious condition with multiple broken bones, police said.

Love had been broadcasting the protest for about two hours on Facebook Live under the caption "Black Femme March takes I-5." The video ended abruptly after someone was heard yelling, "Car!"

In the aftermath of Saturday's incident, protesters in New York and Indiana were struck and injured by drivers who authorities say appeared to deliberately target demonstrations.

A demonstrator in Bloomington, Indiana, and two others in Huntington Station, on New York's Long Island, were hurt Monday evening during peaceful protests, police said. The driver who allegedly ran over two people in New York was arrested, while police were still searching Wednesday afternoon for the operator of a red car and her male passenger who fled following the Indiana incident.

Several hundred protesters had gathered in downtown Bloomington Monday to demonstrate in support of Vauhxx Booker, a Black civil rights activist and a member of the Monroe County, Indiana, Human Rights Commission, who said he was attacked on the Fourth of July by a group of white people who shouted racial slurs and called for someone to "get a noose." The Indiana Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement is investigating the attack, which was caught on cellphone video and has gone viral since being posted on social media.

Booker was let go after a group of people intervened.

The Long Island incident occurred at around 6:45 p.m. Monday during a Black Lives Matter protest in Huntington Station.

Suffolk County Police said they arrested the driver, Anthony Cambareri, 36, of Coram, New York, after he drove into the protesters as they participated in a demonstration on the street. The two victims were taken to Huntington Hospital and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Cambareri sped away, but police caught him a short time later, authorities said.

He was arrested on charges of third-degree assault and was issued a desk appearance ticket. He will be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip at a date yet to be determined.

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Driver charged in fatal hit-and-run at Seattle Black Lives Matter protest - ABC News

Cricket South Africa (CSA) acting CEO Jacques Faul said his board stands in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, adding that the organisation will use its platform to educate on all forms of discrimination.

In a media statement, CSA underlined that the board was founded on the principles of non-racialism and inclusion.

"The vision of CSA, to become a truly national sport of winners supported by the majority, finds resonance in the ethos of 'Black Lives Matter'. Black Lives Matter. It is as simple as that," the statement read.

"As a national sporting body representing more than 56 million South Africans and with the privileged position of owning a platform as large as we do, it is of vital importance that we use our voice to educate and listen to others on topics involving all forms of discrimination," Faul said.

Faul added that CSA will use its voice to spread anti-racism through the BLM campaign and will also speak out against all forms of violence.

"During our celebrations of Nelson Mandela International Da, CSA will further spread the message of anti-racism through the BLM campaign while we also speak out against all forms of violence..."

South Africa has a history of segregation. Although the cricket team now has a fair representation of coloured players as per CSA's policy but things were different prior to the country's isolation in 1970, when sports team were made up of white players only.

The CSA statement comes after star speedster Lungi Ngidi, who is a supporter of the BLM movement, was slammed by former Proteas Pat Symcox, Boeta Dippenaar and others for not speaking up against the attacks on white farmers in the country.

The BLM movement gathered momentum following the death of African-American man George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer in United States.

The incident triggered protests with West Indies cricketers such as Michael Holding, Jason Holder, Darren Sammy and many more around the globe speaking out against racism.

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We stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter movement: CSA - Deccan Herald

As companies declare support for the Black Lives Matter movement, some are not allowing employees to wear masks or other attire that express solidarity with the cause.

Employees have pushed back against what they say is an attempt to silence them staging protests at Whole Foods, denouncing Trader Joes on Twitter, calling for boycotts of Taco Bell and Starbucks while their employers defend the restrictions as a matter of dress code.

Starbucks is using this logo for its new Black Lives Matter T-shirts, which employees may wear at work if they choose. The move comes after the coffee chain reportedly banned employees from wearing Black Lives Matter gear. (Starbucks/TNS)(Photo: Starbucks / TNS)

Tensions could flare at more workplaces as they reopen and the mask-wearing forced by the pandemic collides with a national reckoning on racial injustice sparked by the death of George Floyd, a Black man, at the hands of white police. In Long Island, New York, a Target customer was asked to leave after confronting an employee wearing a Black Lives Matter mask and asking if she didnt think all lives matter, according to news reports describing the June 25 incident.

Employers, reluctant to alienate customers or employees, may hope banning personal statements across the board will keep conflict at bay. But they must consider the legal ramifications of restricting certain forms of expression, and the cost of bad publicity and poor employee morale.

This is definitely a challenge employers are going to face, if not now it is likely they will face it in future, said Lauren Novak, an attorney with Schiff Hardin in Chicago who represents employers in labor and employment cases.

In the Chicago suburbs, a Costco employee wore a Black Lives Matter mask to work after hearing about managers making racially insensitive comments to other employees at the warehouse. After working two shifts with the mask, the employee was called into a managers office in late June and told to stop wearing it because it was political, controversial and disruptive, the employee told the Tribune in an interview.

In a silent protest in the days that followed, the employee, who is Black, arrived at work wearing the mask, made sure people were watching, and flipped it inside out upon clocking in.

For so long we have been taught that we cannot speak out against an unjust system that affects every aspect of our life, said the employee, who has worked at Costco for over a decade and asked not to be identified for fear of retribution. We are supposed to shut up and take it.

Cell phone photos of Costcos employee handbook that the employee provided to the Tribune show its dress code says only that employees must be neat, clean and professional. People identifying themselves as Costco employees have posted pictures of themselves on Facebook wearing attire celebrating LGBTQ pride.

Costco declined to comment or answer a list of written questions.

Last week, the Chicago-area employee was given permission to wear a mask depicting a raised fist as long as it doesnt include words. The employee plans to make more such masks to distribute to co-workers who want them.

Telling me that I cannot wear Black Lives Matter because its political or controversial is another way of being complicit in the systematic injustices that Black people in the US face, the employee said in a text message. Its another way of letting me know that I truly do not Matter.

Private employers have the right to regulate what employees wear to work. But restricting some forms of expression could risk violating labor or employment law.

Employers should consider whether employees are wearing Black Lives Matter masks to protest racially discriminatory working conditions, which could be considered protected, concerted activity under the National Labor Relations Act, Novak said.

Employers could also face allegations of discrimination or creating a hostile work environment if the dress code policy isnt consistently enforced and disadvantages people based on race or another protected class, said Fern Trevino, an employment lawyer in Chicago who represents workers.

They could run into issues if attire celebrating LGBTQ pride is permitted but Black Lives Matter is not.

Employers should inform employees of the dress code policy in writing and should assure the policy is consistently and equitably enforced, Trevino said.

Some companies have responded to public pressure and are letting employees display their solidarity with the cause at work.

Taco Bell apologized after an Ohio employee who declined to remove his Black Lives Matter mask was fired from a franchised restaurant, saying we believe the Black Lives Matter movement is a human rights issue and not a political one. The fast food chain told USA Today that it doesnt prohibit the wearing of such masks and is working to clarify its policies.

Starbucks quickly reversed course after BuzzFeed News published an internal memo explaining that Black Lives Matter buttons were verboten because they violated dress code policies forbidding attire that advocates for political, religious or personal issues and could be used to amplify divisiveness. The coffee giant had been quick to avow its commitment to Black Lives Matter as protests erupted over Floyds death, and committed $1 million to racial equity organizations. After the BuzzFeed report, Starbucks said in a letter to employees it was producing 250,000 T-shirts with a graphic expressing support for the movement, and employees could wear their own until those arrived.

Company-issued merchandise gives companies some control over the matter.

McDonalds, which requires uniforms and provides plain masks for employees to wear, said it is making pins and bracelets available for employees who want to show support to end social injustice. The company had previously expressed solidarity with Black employees and promised to donate $1 million to the National Urban League and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in the wake of Floyds death.

But Faith Booker, a McDonalds employee in Lakeland, Fla., said she hasnt heard anything about these accessories. A co-worker was instructed to remove a Black Lives Matter mask a few weeks ago and no one has tried since, she said, but its important to her that the company support the wearing of such masks at work to amplify the cause.

I have five kids, two of whom are boys, and my sons lives matter, said Booker, 32, who is Black. I dont want them to go through everything that everyone is going through today.

Other retailers have stood by their prohibitions on employees displaying Black Lives Matter messaging.

Whole Foods says that in order to operate in a customer-focused environment, employees must comply with its longstanding dress code prohibiting clothing with visible slogans, messages, logos or advertising that are not company-related. It provides face masks to employees if theirs dont comply.

Whole Foods, which sent home two New Hampshire employees for wearing Black Lives Matter and I Cant Breathe masks, has seen protests in Massachusetts, Philadelphia and Seattle over the issue.

Workers organizing at Whole Foods in Cambridge, Mass., accused the Amazon-owned grocer of hypocrisy and performative, empty activism for refusing to allow employees to wear the masks while publicly declaring support for the movement and committing $10 million to relevant causes. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., tweeted last week that she supports a resolution at the Cambridge City Council to support the Whole Foods workers right to wear the masks.

Trader Joes has also been accused, by people identifying as employees on social media, of sending workers home for declining to remove Black Lives Matter masks or pins. A Twitter account called Crew for a Trader Joes Union posted a script for what employees should say if confronted, including asking to see the written policy and questioning the companys support for Black lives.

Trader Joes did not respond to a request for comment. Last month it issued a statement to the publication The North Star acknowledging that some employees are choosing to speak up against racial and social injustice in a number of ways.

We understand this is a time for us to use our voice, and we appreciate the desire to hear how we plan to take action, sooner rather than later, it said. Its also critical that we take the time and steps that bring about the most meaningful change. When we say were committed to listening, caring, acting and continuously improving, we mean it.

A central concern for employers is that allowing employees to wear Black Lives Matter apparel will provoke other employees to don All Lives Matter, Blue Lives Matter or other potentially divisive slogans, Novak said. Employers have to decide whether they will take a stance against those viewpoints, she said.

I think most employers would allow Black Lives Matter masks but they fear what other employees might wear to disturb the workplace, Novak said. So by creating a neutral policy it eliminates people wearing masks that are clearly offensive.

For a smaller employer out of the limelight, a dress code prohibiting all forms of expression could be a safe bet. But companies in the public eye may not be able to stay neutral if they are accused of failing to support their Black employees, Novak said.

Supporting Black Lives Matter, but not All Lives Matter, attire could open an employer up to a discrimination claim. But attorneys doubt it would hold water, since the All Lives Matter message is not tied to a specific race in the way the Black Lives Matter movement is.

The basis of the alleged discrimination isnt based on a race, it is based on a message, said Joe Yastrow, an attorney with Chicago-based Laner Muchin who represents management.

Yastrow said his advice to clients would be to not stand in the way of employees who wish to wear Black Lives Matter paraphernalia at work.

Under the circumstances and given the volatility of the issue and the gravitas of the issue at this point in time, I dont think I would encourage an employer to take that issue on, Yastrow said.

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Workplace tensions flare over whether employees can wear Black Lives Matter masks - The Detroit News

The brutal killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis Police Department officer Derek Chauvin captured the public consciousness unlike few other events in American history. In the U.S. and around the world, protesters have taken to the streets outraged by the abhorrent murder of yet another defenceless Black man by police.

The question, however, is how this particular incident has galvanized so many people worldwide overwhelmingly young to protest for so long?

Certainly, police brutality directed toward Black people in the U.S. is not new. The chant and hashtag say their names brings attention to the brutal killings of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and many others, along with George Floyd.

Similarly, here in Canada, Black and Indigenous people have experienced significant brutality at the hands of the police. In recent weeks, the public has seen news of the deaths of Regis Korchinski-Paquet and Chantel Moore, and the arrest of Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation Chief Allan Adam.

Economic and political disadvantages experienced in the U.S. and Canada are not new. Economic disparities between Black and white families in the U.S. have been obvious for years.

As in many previous cases, the killing of George Floyd was caught on camera. The recording was striking, producing a visceral impression of a public lynching, but it was not unlike the recordings of Rodney King, Alton Sterling and others in sparking public outcry.

The difference this time around is the contemporaneous outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has contributed to making these protests more enduring and widespread. COVID-19 has exacerbated the problems of racial injustice, isolation, frustration and stagnation and caused higher unemployment, which provides the time to air these grievances. When coupled with mixed messages from elites, the spark lit a fire that continues to burn.

Right from the beginning, government officials gave contradictory messages. President Donald Trump told the public on Jan. 22 that the virus was totally under control and that he was not at all worried about it. A month later, on Feb. 26, he repeated this. By March 15, Trump changed his tune, admitting that the virus was indeed contagious and not under control. Still, he concluded on March 25 that all would be back to work as usual in several weeks. In contrast, governors across the country were declaring states of emergency.

The flip flop regarding the pandemic resulted in mixed messages and demonstrated a division among the elites. When political leaders are divided or provide mixed messages, the public has a variety of authorities to choose from and may ignore whatever semblance of rules are in place. From this, a state of anomie or normlessness can emerge.

COVID-19 policies and government directives have resulted in economic downturn. By May, 20.5 million Americans were unemployed, an increase of 14 million from February. Although the unemployment rate increased for all groups, it was highest among Black Americans and other racialized groups. Unemployment rates for Black men and women in May were 15.8 per cent and 17.2 per cent, respectively, while the national rate of unemployment for all groups was 13 per cent. The rate was even higher among people aged 16 to 24, standing at 25.3 per cent in May.

Unemployed Black people in Canada and the U.S. also faced greater financial challenges to supporting their families due to the pandemic than their white counterparts.

COVID-19 has amplified the ordinary inequality in unemployment, which increases dissatisfaction and inclination towards speaking out.

By the end of June, more than 10 million people had contracted COVID-19 worldwide and over 500,000 had died. The uncertainty, unemployment and confused government directives on business lockdowns and social distancing increased stress and anxiety.

For some, social distancing felt like house arrest. Frustrations were enhanced by uncertainty due to misinformation. The extent of misinformation was such that some started to believe conspiracies. In addition, the frustration of Black Americans was further increased because they are disproportionately affected by COVID-19 and receive poor health care and treatment.

Government advice to shelter at home further increased frustrations and exposed economic inequalities. Black Americans, who are on average significantly less well off than their white counterparts, are more likely to live in crowded housing, work in essential services, have prior health conditions that increase mortality rates and rely on public transport. COVID-19 increased levels of frustration among the public in general, but Black Americans and other minorities have been hit hardest.

In such circumstances, people tend to live in a state of endless suspense, fearful about their health, uncertain of the truth, unable to know when it will end. These can all be drivers toward tangible action to affect change.

COVID-19 also has a curious effect in enabling protests. Even as health concerns over protests rose, many protesters attended with face masks, providing additional protection from the recognition and prosecution. The existence of CCTV cameras is a deterrence against protests, but masks offer some anonymity that may prevent legal consequences or illegal retribution. The pandemic helped increase participation of those who wished to be involved, but feared surveillance apparatuses.

But perhaps the greatest factor that allows participation of those with grievances is time. When people have discretionary time, they are more likely to participate in social movements to effect change. Prior to COVID-19, the cycle of work and life limited extra time for taking to the streets to demonstrate for a cause, particularly when a choice had to be made between protesting for a better tomorrow and earning a paycheck.

COVID-19 removed the need to make that decision. All countries experienced increased unemployment, some form of social distancing and lockdown. The consequent extra time provided opportunities for people to join the demonstrations en masse, ensuring that the spark which ignited the protest could last for a long time and grow worldwide.

Intensifying inequalities elevated dissatisfaction while grievances in the U.S. and elsewhere and the video of George Floyds death, reminiscent of a public lynching, provided the spark. However, what may have helped make the movement larger, enduring and international in scope were the lockdowns and the mass unemployment that came with them. And although the media has begun to pay less attention, the protesters continue to have the time and motivation to keep the flame burning.

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Black Lives Matter movement finds new urgency and allies because of COVID-19 - The Conversation CA

Witnesses reported to police that the incident started because an electric scooter had been left in the road. A red Toyota drove up to the scooter, and the male passenger got out and threw the scooter aside, according to a news release Tuesday from the Bloomington Police Department.

A 29-year-old woman stood in front of the car with her hands on the hood, but the car started to accelerate, causing the woman to go up onto the hood, police said. A man grabbed the car and clung to the driver's side as it sped off, police said.

In a short video posted on Twitter, a red vehicle can be seen speeding down a road with at least two people on it -- one holding onto the driver's side and another person on the hood.

Rodney Root, who captured video of the incident, said in an interview with CNN, "This was right after the Black Lives Matter protest had broken up. There was a man attempting to hold traffic with an electric scooter and the passenger of the car got out, slammed the scooter to the ground and got back in. ... A lady ran up to confront the car and the car struck her and sped off at full speed. I was so shocked I started chasing and stopped the video."

The two people stayed on the car until it quickly made a right turn, causing both of them to fall off, police said.

The 35-year-old man who had held onto the side suffered abrasions to his arms when he fell off, police said. The woman was knocked unconscious and suffered a laceration to her head, and was taken to a hospital, police said.

WRTV spoke to Geoff Stewart, the man who was holding onto the side of the car.

"A woman driving the vehicle came up to the stop and had started revving her engine toward us and we tried to stop her and let her know that the crowd is clearing up just wait a second. But, she and her passenger both wanted to go right away -- so, they started to push, they pushed into the woman that was with me and when she pushed again both of us went on the vehicle," Stewart said in an interview with WRTV.

Stewart continued, "I was just trying to block her vision so she would slow down. So I tried to pull myself as far in her way to kind of obstruct her view. She drove through red lights and made her turn up here that threw both of us off the car."

Police said they are still looking for the car and trying to determine the identities of the two people who were inside.

CNN's Rebekah Riess and Amanda Jackson contributed to this report.

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Two people were hurt by a car as a Black Lives Matter demonstration was ending in Indiana - CNN

Black lives did not matter when they were inhumanely transported like livestock from Africa. Black lives did not matter when they were lynched by the hundreds at the hands of the KKK. Black lives did not matter when they were attacked by dogs as they protested for equal rights.

With the weekly news cycle seeming to, without fail, include the death of at least one black boy at the hands of the police, or the body of a black woman being thrown to the ground by local law enforcement, or a black child being manhandled by the services meant to protect them, my heart sinks as I cling to the desire that black lives will matter.

When Nancy Pelosi, as part of MSNBCs town hall last year, was asked by student Shelly Ward if she supported the Black Lives Matter movement, Pelosis response was an all too familiar Well, I believe that all lives matter. Her statement was to the very obvious disappointment of the young black woman who asked the question, and to the disappointment of an exhausted black community.

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As someone who is constantly bombarded with the howling of but all lives matterand the heated conversations that inevitably followlet me explain. Black Lives Matter is not a term of confrontation or an exclusionary demand. As Columbia Law Professor Kimberle Crenshaw explains, saying black lives matter is simply aspirational; it's a rallying cry for a shift in statistical numbers that show that people who are black are twice as likely to be killed by a police officer while unarmed, compared to a white individual. According to a 2015 study, African-Americans died at the hands of police at a rate of 7.2 per million, while whites were killed at a rate of 2.9 per million.

Anyone who has kept any type of pulse on civil rights and the black human condition in the United States since the transatlantic slave trade would understand the need to emphasize the protection of black bodies. The people who have had the luxury of ignoring this particular issue is the white community, which has had the privilege of not questioningon a large scalewhether the systems they live in are detrimental to their livelihoods, based on their skin color.

But as the Black Lives Matter movement emerged, they were all of a sudden jolted into an awareness of the intersection of race and surviving police encounters. Instead of exploring the reasons why a movement like this would even be necessary, many have a knee jerk reaction. What about me? All lives matter, they cry. Why be divisive and unfair, what about our safety? The point these people miss is that the majority of experiences here in America already tend to center and highlight whiteness and cater to its safety. The country was built to function that way. Its roots of white supremacy and the marginalized concern for people of color has remained.

Today, looking at the gross brutality and murders of black American citizens like Oscar Grant, Michelle Cusseaux, Samuel Dubose, and Jordan Edwards, we are still aspiring to convince you that black lives matter.

But let's get back to the issue of countering Black Lives Matter with the phrase All Lives Matter. I've come to describe this as a collective gaslighting from the white community. Gaslighting is a tactic in which a person or entity, in order to gain more power (or in this case, keep their own peace), makes a victim question their reality. Why do those who counter black lives matter act as though black people aren't aware of the glaring disproportionate statistics of police brutality, of health care racism, and of mass incarceration? This is our reality. You deciding to ignore it for your own comfort doesn't make it any less true.

If a patient being rushed to the ER after an accident were to point to their mangled leg and say, This is what matters right now, and the doctor saw the scrapes and bruises of other areas and countered, but all of you matters, wouldnt there be a question as to why he doesn't show urgency in aiding that what is most at risk? At a community fundraiser for a decaying local library, you would never see a mob of people from the next city over show up angry and offended yelling, All libraries matter!especially when theirs is already well-funded.

This is because there is a fundamental understanding that when the parts of society with the most pain and lack of protection are cared for, the whole system benefits. For some reason, the community of white America would rather adjust the blinders theyve set against racism, instead of confront it, so that the country can move forward toward a true nation of justice for all.

"Stating 'black lives matter' doesnt insinuate that other lives dont."

Let me be clear: our stating that black lives matter doesnt insinuate that other lives dont. Of course all lives matter. That doesnt even need to be said. But the fact that white people get so upset about the term black lives matter is proof that nothing can center the wellbeing and livelihoods of black bodies without white people assuming it is to their demise.

My personal message to those committed to saying all lives matter in the midst of the justice-driven work of the Black Lives Matter movement: prove it. Point out the ways our societyparticularly the systems set in place to protect citizens like police officers and doctors and elected officialsare showing up to serve and protect black lives. Illuminate the instances in which the livelihood of the black community was prioritized, considering the circumstances that put us into less-privileged spaces to begin with. Direct me to the evidence of justice for the bodies discarded at the hands of those in power, be it by unjustified murder, jail cell, poisoned water, or medical discrimination.

These are the things that must be rectified for us to be able to exhale. Until then, I'll be here, my black fist raised with Black Lives Matter on my lips.

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