A young man eagerly participated in the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests. However, the euphoric atmosphere was evaporated by the reality of his everyday life. The disconnect between the spirit of the protests and his everyday life was unsettling. He was working “”making good money”” but couldn’t afford to rent. His college experience uncovered the inadequacies of his public school education. As a young black man, he accepted being looked at suspiciously by people as a way of life. He was disappointed that the protests didn’t yield change. A year later, it’s like the protest didn’t happen. Where did this leave him and others who were sincerely hopeful about change? He pondered, “”When does my black life matter? Do I have to get killed by a cop to be seen as human?”” Black people have been protesting against injustice for decades. “”My granddad was protesting when he was my age. He votes. My parents vote. I vote. My friends vote. How long do we have to go through this before our everyday lives improve?”” The change that this young man desires only occurs when there is a sincere commitment by those in power to improve the everyday lives of all. Many people have exploited the BLM for their personal, political and economic gain but their attitude about black lives has not changed.
Education is a part of one’s socialization process. One way to improve lives is to change the negative perception of the Black and Hispanic student that is curated by the educational system. Ending gifted and talented programs, dismantling the Specialized High School Test and expanding the charter school cap will not resolve the racial inequalities but will only continue to perpetuate the false narrative of Black and Hispanic students as intellectually inferior. The viable resolution is to equip all NYC public schools with the resources to provide all students with a first rate education. Many schools in the community don’t offer students the basics like art, music, gym, computer technology, science labs, books for every student and qualified teachers and administrators. The city needs to cease policies that orchestrate failure and foster the marginalization of students.
Housing insecurity has been exacerbated by pandemic because now those who were not previously struggling with their rent or mortgage are feeling insecure. Canceling rent will not resolve the unaffordable housing crisis but would burden landlords, especially small landlords who have seen an increase in their property expenses. The solution is to have affordable, safe housing that meets the needs and income of residents and to preserve it. New York City must spend housing dollars responsibly. In 2013, NYCHA officials opted not to use $1 billion from HUD for repairs. As of 2018, the city spends $1 million per day to house homeless New Yorkers in hotels. Money can be saved and more people can be served by providing people with apartment vouchers. Now, NYS has $3.125 billion to help tenants and homeowners who are struggling during this pandemic yet has only given out 40% of the $100 million for covid-19 rental assistance that it received in 2020. The state must release the money so that people can receive help to get back on track. Housing security is a part of everyday life. If the money and resources are there to make housing more stable and affordable then that is what the city and state need to do.
Finally, voting is another way to improve everyday life. Voting involves more than just casting your vote on election day. Registered voters have the power to designate who will be on the ballot on election day. However, if a selected few is determining whom you can vote for by illegally controlling who can get on the ballot and the outcome of an election by illegally removing voters from the ledgers, then your vote has been suppressed. In 2016, before Democratic Presidential Primary, 200,000 NYC voters were illegally purged from election rolls. True democracy demands fair access to the ballot. Elected officials are the ones who are going to draft and enact policies and make decisions that will affect our everyday life. Voting integrity must be protected.
Again,”How long do we have to go through this before our everyday lives improve?” Unfortunately, we have empowered people who are just in love with the fight. They just want a seat at the table, nothing else. They promote policies that keep dysfunction alive instead establishing successful solutions. They are more interested in self-empowerment than community empowerment. The power structure is not afraid of protests as long those protests don’t facilitate change and accountability. Advocacy is not individual but communal. The purpose of advocacy is to change the trajectory of situations and policies for the betterment.