For a while now, a spotlight has been put upon the Black Lives Matter movement- a movement entirely dedicated to bringing forth justice to all African Americans, especially in relation to police. Participants of the Black Lives Matter movement desire equal treatment as white people from law enforcement officials, as they have been unfairly treated, verbally and physically abused, and in the worst cases, killed. It’s no surprise, nor is it out of line, that African Americans have taken a stand to defend and protect the lives of their family. I 100 percent support every effort taken by the movement to demand equal treatment of all people in general life, but especially related to law enforcement as a result of the recent events.

Recently, I was scrolling through Facebook when I stumbled upon a certain video that caught my eye. It was posted by a page called “Free Hugs Project”. The video displayed a man named Ken E. Nwadike Jr., who attended a BLM riot. This specific video took place in his hometown, Charlotte, North Carolina. Many participants featured in the video at the riot were extremely fired up, angry, and aggressive towards the police officers who were there to keep things under control. These police officers were a variety of races- not just white. However, the man who posted the video was the complete opposite of the majority of the crowd. He remained cool, calm, and collected while also getting his point across and being extremely passionate and persuasive. He seemed to gain a lot of respect from his audience- those who would actually listen- and definitely created a new dynamic at this particular riot. One thing that really struck me was the fact that his peaceful protesting efforts gained the attention of the police officers who were standing guard at the riot. One officer- a white one, I might add- shook hands with Nwadike and sincerely thanked him for his peaceful ways and for being such a kind, understanding person.

When it comes to such sensitive topics that people can easily get fired up about, it’s so important to stay grounded and remain level. However, this doesn’t mean you can express your opinion or get a point across- it simply means you’re doing it in a more mature manner that will likely get you the most attention. Rather than taking anger out physically or aggressively, it seems that a peaceful protest gets the most positive attention from the people they’re trying to reach the most- the police themselves.

I admire Nwadike immensely for his efforts to create a calm environment in the midst of chaos, and for successfully deescalating a situation that could have gotten bad quickly. It takes strength, patience, will-power, and a big heart to be able to channel such strong emotions into love that could easily be converted into hatred and anger.

BLACK LIVES MATTER.