Ferguson sparked a new national movement that’s sweeping across the U.S. And it’s young people leading the charge. They’re demanding the end to what they see as systemic racism in law enforcement that targets black people. Alicia Garza, co-founder of #BlackLivesMatter, tells Dena Takruri who these activists are and the tactics they’re using to get what they want.
AJ+’s Dena Takruri speaks with Oakland residents the day after the grand jury of St. Louis County decided not to charge police officer Darren Wilson for the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson. Hundreds of protestors had filled Oakland’s streets the night of the announcement, some peacefully marching and tweeting #BlackLivesMatter, others smashing shop windows. The day after, residents voice their concerns in a neighborhood where this story has played out before, with the death of Oscar Grant in 2009, among others.
People around the world have watched Ferguson, Missouri in disbelief that what they’re seeing is taking place in the United States. But Ferguson is actually quite American. AJ+ host Dena Takruri explains how the city is a microcosm of the systemic racial inequality that persists in the U.S, from poverty and unemployment to the police targeting of African-American communities.
If a police officer were to stop you on the street in the U.S. and start questioning you, what would you do? Check out our quick list of six things you should know about your rights. Learn more about your rights here: https://www.aclu.org/
From Michael Brown to Renisha McBride to Jordan Davis: how murdered black people are portrayed in the media — and the courtroom — has often led to outrage. And after the deaths of Oscar Grant, Trayvon Martin and Eric Garner, the hashtags #IfTheyGunnedMeDown, #APHeadlines and #DangerousBlackKids are one way people have flipped the script.
Dena Takruri 