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Taniyah Collins
Rachel Farrell
Lyric Foxx
English 11A
Ms. Schaner
14 Nov. 2019
BLM Movement Essay
In this article, the author, Dahlenn Glanton, writes an editorial about the Black Lives
Matter movement in Florida. The Black Lives Matter Movement was created by Cullors, Tometi,
and Garza to provide an organization that brings attention to gun violence, police brutality, and
racism against African Americans in hopes of bringing all Americans to solve the major issues
surrounding us to this day. Gun violence pertains to Trayvon Martin who was killed. Sandra
Bland is a victim of police brutality.
To begin, Glanton wrote this article using pathos, along with the appeal to fear. She uses
many quotes involving the statements of gun violence, police and/ or mass shootings and other
threatening words. She writes, “Some labeled them troublemakers, even terrorists.” Along with
this, she talked about innocent children being lost due to gun violence and mass shootings. The
quote reads, “Preventing mass shootings, particularly those in schools where the lives of
innocent children are lost, is something most Americans can wrap their hearts around.” This
makes the reader think about the article on an emotional level because it is a heartbreaking topic
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to talk about. The young people of Black Lives Matter will not be silenced if they spread their
word more vocally.
Secondly, Ganton uses the technique of sympathy. She writes, “If the young people
involved in Black Lives Matter are as smart as I think they are, they will not be silenced. If they
are vocal enough, America will eventually reach its tipping point on the senseless police killing.”
Ganton is stating that if the young people involved in Black Lives Matter stay consistent with
their protests and continue to speak up about what they believe in, they will be heard by the rest
of America. The young people of this movement feel as if they aren’t being heard correctly when
it comes to their protests against gun violence, and are being treated unfairly compared to the
young caucasian protesters desires. If we as young African Americans in this society have to sit
back, think, and ask ourselves, why should we have to support other protesters when it comes to
their movements, but they can’t take a second out of their day to act like they care and or even
support us and our protests for our rights? How should their movements be more important than
ours?Why can’t we come together as one ? As Americans we should be standing by one another
supporting each other and our young people no matter their race.
Last, Glanton used the question and answer technique. The question being asked is,
“Shouldn’t we also pay attention when young people express their pain and frustration over the
violent killings of unarmed African-American children and adults at the hands of unscrupulous
police officers?” Now let’s talk about gun violence. Trayvon Martin, 17, was killed while
visiting his father, Tracy Martin, in Sanford, Florida. George Zimmerman was a neighborhood
captain watch. Zimmerman reported a “suspicious person” in the neighborhood and was
instructed not to approach the person. Zimmerman intended to go up to Martin and shots were
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fired. Zimmerman told police it was self defense, but on the police recorder you can hear Martin
say “help help.” The Justice for Trayvon Martin Foundation hosts a "Day of Remembrance
Community Peace Walk and Forum" in Miami. It takes place four days after what would have
been Martin's 18th birthday. Zimmerman was found guilty.
To conclude, Glanton expressed the ways that the young people of the Black Lives
Matter Movement felt. The Black Lives Matter Movement is to provide an organization that
brings attention to gun violence, police brutality, and racism against African Americans, in hopes
of bringing all Americans to solve the major issues surrounding us to this day. “A vision for
Black Lives: Policy Demands for Black Power, Freedom and Justice.” The techniques we
analyzed in this article are pathos, along with appeal to fear, sympathy and question/answer. We
used ttechniques because they were the most used throughout Dahleen Glanton’s article on the
Black Lives Matter Movement.
