Amiri Bradley is a 22-year-old, black student living in Portland, Oregon. He uses social media as a platform to engage in the Black Lives Matter movement. George Floyd’s death hits close to home for him as he has experienced police discrimination first-hand.
In a movement so heavily reliant on social media, Bradley took to his Instagram story to ask his followers questions. Where are the leaders? Why are our efforts not organized or specific? Most importantly, what happens when the protests die down?
Bradley says he has struggled with these questions since the Black Lives Matter movement was brought to the forefront following Floyd’s murder.
Bradley resorted to making his own list of demands, largely because he did not see concrete legislative action taking place. He wants better access to public records, a panel of 5 members, elected by the people, to review police misconduct complaints, and a modification to rubber bullet use.
The list, he hopes, will be a guideline for his followers to propose to government officials. He hopes it will accomplish specific change on the local level.
He shared the list on Instagram, which has since racked up over six thousand likes.
Bradley urges readers to read between the lines. For example, he criticized Blackout Tuesday for having vague leadership and counterproductive effects. He urges allies to make an effort to find the most effective ways of demanding change. For black people, it is to share personal experiences and being at the forefront of change. For white allies, that means allowing black voices to be heard. And he encourages readers to educate themselves, just like he has through studying the words of black leaders and poets.
“There has to be concrete things in place that are not people, that are policies that are working year-round,” Bradley said. “That needs to be on every sign. That needs to be what every hashtag is.”
Juliet Traylor 