There's a lot going on in the world right now. Many of us are still indoors, waiting out the devastating virus that's harming our country.
Others are taking their chances by protesting for what's right. After the devastating death of George Floyd, a black man who was stopped solely on suspicion for a very petty and inoffensive crime, the country has been flooded with protests. Some of those protests have led to riots.
While riots themselves aren't pleasant to see, history has shown that, sometimes, they're catalysts for change. Everything lost can be replaced. Lives, however, cannot. Target will have no problem rebuilding a looted store to make it thrive once again. But George Floyd, and all of the other black members of our community who have been lost to wrongful deaths, will never come back. And their friends and family will hurt for the rest of their lives.
But even in situations like this, there has also been so much good to come out of the recent protests. People are out there raising their voices — and in some towns, the response has been beautiful.
While police officers need to be held accountable for their actions, many have proven that they're on the right side. Everyone in a leadership position should realize that there's plenty of room to grow for all of us. Even if we never thought of ourselves as being racist, many of us are now realizing the immense privilege we've been given. Here are eight uplifting moments and stories that will help you believe that nationwide change is really possible.
1.Police in Queens, New York, took a knee.
Police in Queens, New York, did everything right. Not only did they take a knee in support of ending police brutality and racism, but they did so with masks and from a safe distance. It's so important for our law enforcement and leaders to realize how vital their part is in creating change.
"The striking moment of unity comes as thousands are again taking to the streets to demand justice for George Floyd and other black people who have been killed at the hands of police," wrote news channel NY1. The protest itself was peaceful, and voices were truly heard.
2. Communities are cleaning up graffiti on their own.
When riots happen, spray paint often comes out. Vandalism isn't great by any means, but it often comes with the territory. If a building gets sprayed but the message to treat black people with respect gets seen, it's just another way to bring awareness to the need for change. Of course, the graffiti won't last forever — and seeing images of people in Minneapolis cleaning up their town shows they're proud of where they live and want to take care of it. It's a small gesture that means so much.
3. Celebrities like Ariana Grande aren't afraid to get involved.
Ariana Grande, at only 26 years old, has had a really interesting yet tragic life. She had just finished performing her show at the Manchester Arena in 2017 when a devastating and fatal bombing occurred there. She also lost her ex-boyfriend, Mac Miller, to a fatal overdose. That said, she isn't afraid to physically join the protests and put herself out there. It's so much more powerful than just sending a tweet to show support.
It also proves that she's all about change. It's really important for celebrities to speak up on serious issues. Since so many people follow them, their words often go further. It can be scary to protest, but Ariana — along with other strong celebrities — knows that this is something worth fighting hard for.
4. A Miami officer hugs a protester.
In this clip, a Miami police officer broke through the line to calmly walk over to a protester. Without any violence or harsh words, the two end up sharing a heartwarming hug. Even better, you can hear "I love you, man" exchanged between them.
5. A GoFundMe raised a million dollars for this man to reopen his bar.
Nobody loves the idea of looting. While some small business owners have opened up after being looted in support of social change, others have revealed that looting made them lose everything. One of those businesses is the Scores Sports Bar.
The bar is owned by a black couple who were planning their big reopening after the virus shut things down. "Kb Balla & his wife Twyana are active members of their community," the GoFundMe campaign states. "KB is a Firefighter on the Brooklyn Center Fire Department and Twyana was a member of the Sounds of Blackness. They have 4 beautiful children and the toll of this entire situation is heavy."
Luckily, with the money they made, they'll be able to reopen and re-create a wonderful black-owned business that the people in Minneapolis can once again enjoy. "Anything you can donate to start the rebuild process will be a blessing," their page read. And the community paid attention.
6. A 6-year-old staged her own peaceful protest.
It's important to talk to children about what's going on. It's one of the best ways to ensure that they won't grow up with the same prejudices that their parents may have. Plus, it's wonderful to raise young activists, especially women. Posted on Reddit, this child's message will hopefully inspire many more to join the fight for change.
In that Reddit thread, many other parents admitted that they've been talking to their children about what's happening — which is the healthy approach, even if it's hard. Individually, they've been gauging whether or not they're ready to see the disturbing video. It's a lot for some kids to see, but it's also a true representation of what happened that terrible day. It happens more often than we all know — it's just not always caught on camera.
7. A Flint, Michigan, police officer got real.
While many police officers were prepared with riot gear, a sincere officer named Chris Swanson actually took off his helmet and talked to the protesters as people. And the first thing he asked them is how he could help. Listening is one of the most important things we can do. We need to listen to people's stories, learn about their hardships, and take action to make the world easier for them. "We want to be with y'all for real," he said. "I want to make this a parade, not a protest."
8. A 12-year-old's original song became a rallying anthem.
A 12-year-old named Keedron Bryant was so moved by George Floyd, and the actions taken after his death, that he wrote a song. That song is titled "I Just Want To Live," and it became a big hit among those who could relate to his touching lyrics. After uploading it to Instagram, Keedron received nothing but support — even from Katy Perry.
The song's powerful lyrics state: "I'm a young black man doing all that I can to stand. Oh, but when I look around and I see what's being done to my kind every day, I'm being hunted as prey." The song was even recognized online by former President Barack Obama, who mentioned it really helped illustrate what's happening right now.
Even if it seems like there's a lot of bad happening in the world, there's also a lot of good. And that's important for all of us to recognize. As a country, we have the power to move forward as long as we practice kindness and respect and know when to listen up.
These stories are based on posts found on Reddit. Reddit is a user-generated social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussion website where registered members submit content to the site and can up- or down-vote the content. The accuracy and authenticity of each story cannot be confirmed by our staff.
