PROFILES:
Jordan Taylor
“It’s not a matter of WHO participates, but HOW they participate.”
Jordan Taylor was born in Brooklyn and raised in Rockland County, NY. From an early age he was exposed to many different cultures in his small hometown, as well as within his own family. Jordan struggled with his identity as a black man, all-encompassed by the stereotype that he was “just black” and “didn’t have a culture”, despite being born to a Caribbean mother and an American father. He fought this stereotype avidly which eventually sparked his interest in the relations between race and politics, guiding him to study Political Science at SUNY New Paltz.
“The point of the Black Lives Matter Movement is to reorganize society into one where black lives matter.”
Jordan was involved in organized protests and fighting for racial equality during his time in college at SUNY New Paltz. As a member of the student government, he faced the college head-on when they proposed downsizing of the Black Studies Department. Rallying with his fellow classmates, Jordan and his supporters were successful in saving and restoring it.
Jordan described one event in particular that exposed him to the stark reality of America’s racial justice issues – when Georgia native Troy Davis was executed for murdering a white police officer, despite the doubt that surrounded his case. “That was a radicalizing moment for me… I was entering this larger world, and in this larger world was a larger battle that I couldn’t ignore,” Jordan stated. The culmination of movements that began during and after Troy Davis’s case was monumental to the Black Lives Matter movement. People began to publicly question racism within the justice system– petitions for his innocence emassing over half a million signatures– and the eyes of millions across the country were finally opened.
“This will set the basis for ALL social justice movements in our country.”
Change starts from the bottom – one person recognizing discrimination in their own community gradually grows to the same person organizing movements across college campuses, like Jordan Taylor. These small victories make up the greater Black Lives Matter Movement.
Amanda Alcantara
“BLM allowed me to witness the power of people – it gave me hope.”
Amanda Alcantara is a Dominican-American writer and journalist who identifies as an Afrodescendiente. She was born in New Jersey to Dominican parents, but when she turned 3 years old, her family moved back to the Dominican Republic where they remained for 12 years. She would occasionally travel back and forth to New Jersey in the summers to visit her family that remained in America, and during this time she learned to speak English fluently. From a young age, Amanda was involved in organizing protests against anti-Haitianism and anti-blackness in the Dominican Republic, and she became involved in the Black Lives Matter Movement in New York City through her involvement in local socialist organizations.
“All lives will matter when black lives matter. Anti-black racism is a global issue, and right here in the US, it is an issue within all communities of color: Latinx, Indian-American, Arab-American...”
“To me, the Black Lives Matter Movement is a global issue,” Amanda expressed, “I'm anti-capitalist and see BLM as an extension of my politics– we need to uplift black lives.” Amanda has been present at many protests in New York fighting against police brutality and racial discrimination. “For me, I think those of us who attended protests, and in the very beginnings when BLM reached New York and the protests were massive, I think the accomplishment was that so many of us were there...that enough of us were able to come together in the thousands. I remember one protest in NYC that effectively shut down Times Square–that to me was huge. And it wouldn't have happened without so many of us taking the streets and being moved collectively against racism and police brutality.” In one protest, Amanda described being arrested for peacefully protesting in the streets during the summer of 2015, a circumstance that only proved to intensify her desire to keep fighting.
“All of our struggles are connected and every movement needs its allies.”
Amanda strongly believes that people of any and every ethnicity are welcome and encouraged to take a stand with the Black Lives Matter Movement. The movement has not yet been successful in its primary goal– black men and women are still being murdered in the streets, only now, they have begun to fall away from newspaper headlines. She is confident that camaraderie and solidarity between people of all races will enable global change and put an end to racial violence. Amanda’s only hope for the future of the movement is that people keep fighting until we see the day when black people no longer need to worry for their lives.
Chip Chang
“Asian-American liberation and freedom meant nothing if that same liberation and freedom isn’t guaranteed to all oppressed people.”
Chip Chang is an Asian-American student who is working towards her PhD in American Studies at the University of Minnesota. Her interest in American Studies is reflected in her dozens of writings regarding human rights, specifically the importance of Asian-Americans finding their voice in the Black Lives Matter Movement.
“The privileges Asian Americans have today are historically and inherently built on the oppression of Black people. Don’t forget that people of color have faced racism since the moment we arrived. To say that ignores that the fight for civil rights didn’t start in the 1950s and it sure didn’t end in the 1970s.”
“We do not live in a post-racial society, we never have.”
Chip’s belief in the importance of cross-racial solidarity within the Black Lives Matter Movement is simple:
Because when I get pulled over by police, my first thought isn’t: ‘I might die today’.
Because when I walk outside wearing my hood at night I don’t worry about getting shot.
Because when I walk on a university campus, I don’t get stopped and asked, what are you doing here?
Because when I eat a burrito outside before work, people don’t call the cops on me because I look suspicious. And they sure as hell wouldn’t unload magazine clips on me.
Because my simple existence isn’t seen as a threat.
Rev. Douglas Taylor
“The Black Lives Matter Movement will be a positive turning point in our country’s experience of racism.”
Rev. Douglas Taylor is a Reverend at the local Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Binghamton, New York. He grew up in Rochester, NY in a tumultuous household that dealt heavily with the influence of alcoholism. However, Douglas found refuge in religion and the Unitarian church, and he considers it a very important part of his upbringing. It has helped him work for a better world and has laid the foundation for him to work against racism and be part of the Black Lives Matter Movement.
“Our congregation is predominantly white. We come into this conversation as allies… As a leader in the community, I am using my voice to cast the vision of unity rather than division.”
As a white person supporting the Black Lives Matter Movement, Douglas believes it is very important for other white people to join and use their voices to support people of color. One of Taylor’s major concerns that led him to participate in the movement was police brutality and violence against people of color in general. His major goal is to help dismantle white supremacy within his congregation and stand in solidarity with other Black leaders in the community.
“If the Black Lives Matter movement has a positive impact on our justice system, it will help all people. The claim is not that Black Lives Matter more … just that they matter, too.”
Douglas hopes that in the future the Black Lives Matter Movement becomes obsolete. He feels that in the upcoming years the movement will make great progress and there will be a very positive turning point in the presence and impacts of racism in America. For others that want to become involved in the movement, but are hesitant or too intimidated to do so, Douglas advises what activist and historian Howard Zinn once said, "You can't be neutral on a moving train".
Cory Ray
“It is the division that keeps us from winning as a collective.”
Cory Ray is a student at Binghamton University who identifies as queer. She grew up in Norwich, New York – a town consisting of roughly 10,000 people, most of whom are white Americans, including Cory. Cory is a self-described “Radical Revolutionary”. She grew up in a life that was not fit for who she saw herself as and who she wanted to be; she was isolated, lonely, and socially sheltered. Her school did not allow for free-thinking or self-awareness, and as a result, she never envisioned her future to be one where she was an active voice in social justice movements.
Cory recalled her first exposure to the injustices faced by black Americans– it came in the form of her middle school history teacher who became the first person to openly and honestly speak about the damage caused by the American people. Prior to this, history was taught to her in a white-washed narrative, lacking emotion and empathy for the suffering of black Americans.
“School system teaches that racial inequality is over… that was the biggest lie they told.”
Cory’s participation in the Black Lives Matter movement is essential to who she identifies as today. Her activism has led her towards her dream of earning a master’s degree in Human Rights. She believes in the universal liberation of all people, but she knows it cannot be done alone. People are taught that equality already exists in America, and people who say that all lives matter are the same ones who have not experienced what it is like to not have their lives matter – that is the heart of the racial injustice in America and the ignorance that shrouds it.
“If not now – when? If not us – who? Your fear will kill you, so why not just fight for it.”
Palmer Ernst
“Since people in power really don’t believe Black Lives Matter, it’s important that people from different ethnicities participate.”
Palmer Ernst is a current student at Binghamton University. She grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania, where she did not have the opportunity to be a voice of activism. When she came to Binghamton, she knew she wanted to be more active in social movements due to her identifying as a member of the LGBTQ community. Her interest in the Black Lives Matter Movement began when she learned about the tragic death of Trayvon Martin. Since then, she has participated in Black Lives Matter marches and has galvanized other people to participate in the movement beside her.
Through the Black Lives Matter movement, Palmer says she has found purpose and a way to step forward and help others. She believes that because there are people in power who do not believe black lives matter, it is up to citizens from a wide expanse of backgrounds and ethnicities to use their voices and join the movement.
As a white person, Palmer believes that her identity has never clashed with the Black Lives Matter Movement. However, as a white person she is aware of her place in race-based discussions. She respects the boundaries of others and is aware that she is ignorant to many of the circumstances Black people experience on a daily basis.
In the future, Palmer hopes that she can help organize more events on campus as well as throughout the Binghamton community. But most importantly she hopes that she can encourage other people to show up and be present in the movement.
"No matter who you are, if you are supportive you will always be welcomed."
Alex Hirsch
“The more people realize that it’s not radical movement, the more people will feel comfortable participating in it.”
Alex Hirsch is a student here a Binghamton University and part of the LGBTQ community. Alex would describe himself as a shy person, but believes that the Black Lives Matter movement is too big of a cause to remain silent. His first encounter with the Black Lives Matter Movement at his workplace when he saw activists protesting. While his coworkers were critical, Alex believed their protesting was making a difference.
By participating in the Black Lives Matter Movement, Alex has found a community. He has never felt unwanted, event though at first he felt a little out of a place because he is White. He believes that one of the biggest misconceptions is that black lives matter more or that other lives don’t matter. The point is that black lives have not been treated as if they matter.
Alex believes that it is very important for people of different ethnicities to participate in the movement. When the rights of one ethnic group are threaten, everyone should be pushing for this to end. Hence, he believes the most important goal of the movement is unity. Networking and connections are vital when dealing with such serious issues as the ones at hand in this movement. Further, he believes the most important goal for each activist is to show up – the more people show up, the closer the movement will be to achieving its goals of unification and the abolishment of racial injustice.
Alex advises that someone who supports the movement but is afraid to take that leap should find their courage. They are already a member, already a supporter, they are already part of the movement for their support alone– they only need to take the first step and go for it. Do it once and you will never regret it.