Personal Narrative: The Black Lives Matters Movement

I grew up in a small town in Mississippi in a neighborhood about a five-minute walk from the Mississippi River. I spent the majority of my younger years growing up within this southern bubble. This place that I still call home and my experiences here helped to create the person that I am today. In my neighborhood in Greenville, MS we didn’t have much to do but staying out of trouble was the motive. Even when thinking of the activities to do they were pretty limited but that’s what caused for us to become creative. Kids in my neighborhood took joy in just running, playing sports, working out, or skipping rocks. Besides being born in such a unique place I must give create to the people who have made me who I am.

Three people of note who have

This thought is important because it allows for me to keep growing and think critically of the world around me. Another way for me to phrase is, as my old high school would say, “being your brother’s keeper”. For me this is far more than looking out for the male identifying individuals around me but to look out for all of those who are a part of my community. A movement that currently allows me to use this idea of growth or evolution is that of the Black Lives Matters Movement. I’m not thinking of this movement in terms of Black lives over the lives of others but more so as the reimagining of Black lives. Example being why is it acceptable be Black and seen as “urban” when you are famous and wealthy? Why is it okay to not default the use of Black families in commercials instead the default is white? Why not make our visual representations more diverse? Why not disrupt the system so that there is no default because the options and execution of projects are so diverse that common images of today are uncommon? Through the creation of new art new avenues or just exploring old ones will allow for substantial change in the way people view the lives of those who are under serviced and