For years, America has been labeled as the "Land of the Free," a land full of opportunities, prosperity and most importantly, acceptance. Even still today President Donald Trump has highlighted his presidential campaign to "Make America Great Again."

But the question still stands if America was ever great? Today, people in America face lots of discrimination, homophobia and racism against minority groups. Innocent lives are being killed based on their ethnicity or for the simple fact of who they are.

If America is so accepting, we shouldn't be experiencing racism in 2020.

The year of 2020 was supposed to be a year of new beginnings promising lots of new success. Although 2020 may just be a new beginning for the world, it's not one we expected. So far, the world has battled being quarantined in a global pandemic for months while again Black lives prove to be at risk.

Since George Floyd's homicide in May, the Black Lives Matter movement has reached great, new heights. People all over the world are protesting and declaring justice for the many Black lives lost at the hands of the police and white supremacists.

www.youtube.com

Throughout this country's history, the highlights of our democracy have been mainly reserved for white people through the oppression of people of color. It's sad to say that the racial and ethnic inequities today are a result of structural racism.

America is so accepting, yet people of color are faced with challenges every single day.

A person of color wearing a hoodie and a white person wearing a hoodie are two different things today. Trayvon Martin is just one of many victims of a Black male being killed because of wearing a hoodie. The reality of this has been on display quite recently. From the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery to countless untold acts of racism that take place every day across America, these are issues that are defining the moment.

Say their names!

upload.wikimedia.org

It is our response that will define who we are and will be in this world. We all have a deep responsibility to be a part of the solution, we must stand and make a change for the better. We must unite and join forces to declare justice for Black lives and end racism for good.