PHOENIX — There’s no one way to call for equality. There’s also no agreement on how effective those calls are.
People have made it very clear they will no longer accept the status quo when it comes to how Black people are treated in the U.S.
Benny Garcia has been watching the NBA games religiously and commends the players for refusing to play, as they urge people to focus on racial injustices instead of basketball.
“It’s letting other people know that this is an important thing going on, and I think people need to listen,” says Garcia.
Phoenix city councilman Sal Diciccio made his stance clear, calling the NBA players “whiny b*****s” on Twitter.
Next week, he and other council members are set to discuss a proposal for a mural that says “Black Lives Matter” in downtown Phoenix. So far the proposal lists the Talking Stick Arena, Phoenix City Hall, and the Arizona State Capitol as possible locations for the mural, along with images of Martin Luther King, Cesar Chavez, and John Lewis.
Brittany Brown is all for the city paying for the mural so that art can influence life.
“I think that would be nice. It shows Arizona does care, and a change will happen,” says Brown.
The discussion comes as protesters call for justice for Jacob Blake, the latest black man shot by officers in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
There, civil unrest has unfolded, and the National Guard has been ordered to get things under control.
Eddy Molacek agrees with some protests, but not the violent ones.
“I don’t believe the destruction benefits anybody. In the short term or long term,” says Molacek.
Ronald Alexander says it’s a final resort to fix a systemic issue.
“The civil unrest and the unrest in the street it’s shown to work historically so it needs to work now too,” says Alexander.
Protests, no matter what form they’re taking, are bringing the issue of racial equality to the forefront.
