On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a forty-six year old black man was handcuffed and subsequently suffocated to death while in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota as officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
The incident was recorded and spread through social media by several bystanders, sparking controversy and outrage. Floyd’s death also began to draw public attention to police brutality and institutional and systemic racism.
In the city of Minneapolis, people demanded justice and accountability and held protests and demonstrations in a call to action that quickly spread across the country and even began to unite people in other parts of the world.
Racism is not born, it is taught. We spend our childhood lives building friendships and social lives, but sometimes the friendships we desire the most were declined out of ignorance.
Here at the IUP Chapter of Her Campus, we believe that you should stand up for what you believe in. We are the youth of the country and the only ones who can determine or change our fate. We believe in making a difference. We believe in fighting for each other. Most importantly, we believe in policy reform because the color of our skin should not define us, nor should it determine our fate.
We believe that black lives matter.
Here at Her Campus, we aim to inspire, empower, and support each other.
We will continue to offer our unconditional support and fight to make a difference.