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The inalienable rights of man affirmed by the Declaration of Independence are at the core of our identity. No government, institution or body should infringe on the natural rights of individuals. When the Founding Fathers inked these words, they did not guarantee those rights to the multifarious America we know today, but for wealthy, land-owning white men. Nowhere in the Declaration of Independence is this stated, yet it is inherently understood by all who live on the outer fringes of what it means to be “an American.” Indigenous Americans, African Americans and women have historically been disenfranchised from the dream promised to all.

We have seen that play out in movements towards equality and justice from abolitionism to suffragism, to the American Indian Movement and ongoing civil rights struggles. Most recently, we have seen this embodied in the almost daily barrage of news information about another maimed, murdered or mutilated Black individual. We know their names; there are too many to list. We have seen the grieving mothers, standing beside community leaders pleading for justice and answers. There is too much pain tied to the memories. For some individuals, these events are outliers — part of the sensationalist news narrative and leftist agenda to erode the rights of real Americans.

Last year’s protests across the nation are indicative of an undercurrent of racial inequality that has laid dormant since the 1960s. The collective voice of communities across the nation calls for greater scrutiny on incidents involving police shootings of people of color. This social movement has also given rise to larger geopolitical conversations globally surrounding racial and economic inequities, power, discrimination, racism and biases. Political and business leaders alike have put measures in place to evaluate their internal operating principles to change cultural practices that might be discriminatory in nature. Their action calls attention to the increased public scrutiny of the actions of government officials. While race is central to the issue, the greater battles yet to be waged are unrestricted police power and a lack of accountability in our criminal justice system.

Calls to defund the police were initially met with skepticism and ire, as individuals pointed to the unrest and looting that was highly publicized during the protests. However, as pressure from protesters and community leaders increased, police budgets in cities like Chicago, Los Angeles and New York were slashed by millions, and in some cases, billions of dollars. These efforts are not enough if they do not change the core system of policing in America. If the attitudes and behaviors of the people that populate the system do not change, there is no hope for the institutions themselves.

The way forward is a bit more precarious. We do need love and understanding from our fellow man, it just may take realizing the humanity in those who don’t share our experiences. This movement towards equality and justice has held a mirror up to the face of our country and exposed the evils that have always been. In order for us to prevail, as one, indivisible, we must recognize many faces in that kaleidoscopic mirror have been disenfranchised. The next chapter of our country is bringing those faces into focus, giving voice to their experiences and protecting their inalienable rights.

Julian Joyner

Writing since February 2022 · 1 story contributed