Evatt Carrodus

Jennifer Rodrick
English 115
20 October 2017 Land of the Free
The United States of America has many names or phrases used to describe it as a space,

one being the land of the free. This phrase however, does not speak for all of the U.S. Yes, it

may describe colonialism era when Protestants were escaping England in 1600s, but even then,

there was a consistent feature. The mistreatment of Africans and African Americans alike. The

United States is a space that is built off of the oppression of black people. Yes, black people

individuals may be free of the ruthless oppression their ancestors went through, but that doesnt

mean they are free from the same stereotypes and everyday struggle. The United States as a

space has impacted black identity with fear for one's body, resistance towards oppression, a

motivation to be outspoken in society, and a unified collective that seeks equality.

Fear is a very real emotion that the space we live in has enforced on black people.

Especially in the last decade, the U.S. has managed to create a very unsafe space for African

Americans to reside in. Police shooting and shootings of black people in general have created a

fear that any day could be your last. Between The World And Me, by Ta-Nehisi Coates, illustrates

this fear perfectly with a account of personal experience that has lead him to the fearful stage he

is in now. Coates addresses many current and relevant events, one being the shooting of 16 year

old Trayvon Martin. Coates uses this book to speak to his son, and Martin is something he

mentions, in which he brings up the fear his son had that he could be next. Talking to his son,

Coates states, you understand that there is no real distance between you and Trayvon Martin

(Coates 25). Coates is vividly describing that universal fear held by black people alike. The fear

that any day could be your last and it is very easy to put yourself in the shoes of someone who is
subject to the space we live in. Black identity has been shaped into having fear for one's own

body.

One's own place in society should never be questioned and otherwise taken from them..

All individuals belong in the United States, so for black people to have to stand up for their

rights and defend them is outrageous. Resistance to oppression has been going on for centuries

with individuals like Frederick Douglas leading the way for the black community and has more

notably been seen in the 1960s with Martin Luther King. The Black Lives Matter movement is

the clear front runner in resisting the current state of black people in the U.S. One must take into

consideration that none of these leaders or movements would exist if it werent for how the

United States impacted black identity. Resistance isnt only about stopping the killings and

shootings but it is also about raising awareness for the current state of the U.S. Cal State

Northridge in 2015 received a visit from Black Lives Matter members, who seeked to raise

awareness on college campuses for the BLM movement and what they seek to do. Nicollette

Ashtiani, writer for the Sundial, documented the BLM speech and interviewed vice president of

CSUN chapter National Association for Black Journalists, Ryann Perkins, who orchestrated the

BLM talk. When talking about the current shootings in the U.S., Perkins stated that people see

this and just go right back to their lives, but they need to remember whats actually going on

(Ashtiani 11). Currently, the resistance attitude is very large in the nation, and Perkins actions are

a perfect representation of how her space has made her resist the oppression that society places

on her. The Black Lives Matter movement has become an essential part of black identity and its

push for equality only shapes black identity more.

With racial discrimination still occurring, our current space needs outspoken characters to

speak up against said discrimination. Black identity now requires an awareness of the current
state of the country and one's own body. Current racial tension has to lead the black youth to

being vocal about where they believe the country should be headed. After the killing of Michael

Brown in 2014, much of the young black youth saw that as a call to action, their space forcing

them to be vocal for change. Following the killing of Michael Brown, Frederica Boswell, of

NPR, interviewed Malcolm London, an activist, poet, and integral member of the National

Moment for Silence. In the interview, London stated, more people need to get involved, and we

need more resources to keep going (Boswell 5). It is young black individuals like London

whose identities have been directly impacted by the space they are in. London is clearly vocal

about the need for change and that others must also take the call to action for change to occur.

Boswell also interviewed Naisha Soto, a youth leader impacted by Brown's killing. When asked

why she got involved in Ferguson, she stated, I felt the need to do something after Trayvon

Martin and Renisha McBride. My soul is weary, and I just wanted to help (Boswell 15). There

is a growing sense of unification which is making itself very clear in Sotos words. Martins

killing is what formed the space that Soto and London must speak out against.

Black unity has soared ever since the space forced its power on to Trayvon Martin and

Michael Brown. The United States discriminatory ways have only strengthened black unity,

creating a tight community that rallies together when the space takes advantage of one of their

individuals. Ruptly TV 1a march held in Ferguson, which was to protest the current

state of the U.S. and black lives. Thousands upon thousands rallied together which was already a

clear act of unity. Reverend Al Sharpton came out to give a talk and rally the crowd together. It

was a woman after him, a nameless activist, who said, Im marching for everyones daughters

and everyone's sons. The goal of these protests or the Black Lives Matter movement needs

people to follow it to become or remain a unified collective. Without the majority, the country
we live in, the space we occupy, will not change, and it will only further impact the way black

identities change. Colin Kaepernick, NFL football player for the 49ers, is a perfect example of

spreading unification as far as protesting the current state of America. When Kaepernick took a

knee, it was seen as a radical way to protest, but it has caught on since then. The NFL Network

highlighted this in a 2, showcasing how the nation has slowly come to embrace

Kaepernick's act of defiance as the right step to social change. In the video, Richard Sherman,

football player for the Seattle Seahawks, states, the reason these guys are kneeling, the reason

were locking arms is to bring people together, to make people aware that this is not right.

Individuals like Kaepernick and Sherman are embracing the fact that their influence can be used

to unify people. Black identity needs unification in the modern space that is the United States.

Black identity is constantly being affected by the space we live in, otherwise known as

the United States. Social injustice and discrimination is still alive, and it impacts black lives

everyday. There is a universal fear that one's body could be taken away from them on any given

day. Black identity means you must fear your own life, something that no individual should

endure. The United States has always given rise to oppression in black identity. Each year more

and more stand to up to what is entitled to them. The Black Lives Matter movement is a prime

example of black activists resisting what their space would otherwise impose on them. These

acts of resistance give birth to young black activists, who also feel the burden that their space

places on them. Black identity is becoming unified in this country, and will continue to become

more unified as long as the space remains the same. The United States has impacted black

identity, and whether its impaction has been good or bad, it will strengthen

1 Ferguson Rally Video-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTZvEK0tvdY

2 NFL: Kaepernick Kneeling Video-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddTRuCsyQCA

Ashtiani, Nicollette. Black Lives Matter Draws in Large Crowd. The Sundial, Gretchen Macchiarella,

8 Nov. 2015, sundial.csun.edu/2015/11/black-lives-matter-draws-in-large-crowd/.

Boswell, Frederica. Ferguson Killing Inspires Young Black Activists. NPR, NPR, 20 Aug. 2014,

http://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2014/08/20/341666936/ferguson-killing-inspires-young-

black-activists. Accessed Oct 18, 2017.

Coates, Ta-Nehisi. Between the World and Me. Spiegel & Grau, 2015.

NFL Network. The Impact of Colin Kaepernick's National Anthem Kneel | NFL Network. YouTube,

YouTube, 6 Oct. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddTRuCsyQCA. Accessed Oct 18, 2017.

RuptlyTV. USA: Ferguson Youth Accuse Al Sharpton of Hijacking the Cause. YouTube, YouTube, 13

Dec. 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTZvEK0tvdY. Accessed Oct 18, 2017.