police and still holds today. The police were  founded  to  “serve and protect”

white and wealthy communities, and part of the way they do that is by targeting and terrorizing communities of color. 

       By this point, about 100 people had gathered, and we headed back to City Hall. We walked together and chanted, as we had on the walk to the station.  The truck that led the protestors stopped right in front of Winton Middle School and began blasting multiple “anti-cop, anti-Trump” songs. We took a break to sing and dance together, and the group felt the strongest and most solid in those moments.

       At just about that time, I suddenly realized that no local media were there to cover this peaceful, meaningful protest. I had seen many reports on news sources about protests in the previous weeks, yet most of them emphasized looting and “rioting” rather than the peaceful parts of the movement. It’s beyond frustrating, yet true, that in order for voices to be heard, glass needs to be shattered. That’s what it took for President Trump to acknowledge us, that’s what it took for the nation to turn all eyes to this movement. There have been peaceful protests for years and years, and no one had paid attention to the injustice, but now we have everyone's attention. 

      I started to think: Maybe if the media had been covering the peaceful protests from the beginning the way that they are now, things might be different? I want to work as a journalist when I’m older, so I pay attention to the impacts of the media and the ways it can help change society.  That’s why it has become so important to draw media attention: Tactics of the past weren’t working, so protesters had to adopt new methods to wake everyone up. 

    As we continued our march back to City Hall, we passed under an overpass and began to chant, “I can’t breathe.” Our voices echoed loudly as we chanted. Knowing those were the last words of George Floyd and other victims of police brutality and racial discrimination, I found myself becoming angrier and louder each time I yelled those words. I had to blink a few times to keep my eyes from watering. George Floyd died in a horrific way, and I saw the video clip; I will never forget it. 

    About five minutes from our destination, a BART train passed us. Protesters turned and held up their signs and their fists for people on the train to see. I think about how those passengers may have felt, seeing so many people stand together in solidarity for Black Lives Matter and against police brutality. I hope they felt empowered and ready to make a change. 

        It’s now the end of July, and I hear less about protests, I see fewer people posting about victims of police brutality. People’s social media feeds are returning to how they looked in early May. I encourage teachers, students, parents, or anyone who reads this to continue to use your voices and your platforms to talk about injustices. Performative activism is not helpful at all, the only thing it benefits is your reputation. Continue to link people to petitions. If you are able to donate, do it. If you can protest, go out and march! Send emails to government officials. The point is, get your voices heard. To some people, Black Lives Matter might have just been a slogan or a fad, but to me and all the other black people, this is a fight for our lives.