TO THE EDITOR:
In Cailyn Derickson’s article “UNC student protestors have reached the tipping point,” the Black Lives Matter movement is examined through UNC students as protests begin to emerge on campus.
The students leading the protests discuss why they were moved to become activists for BLM and what the movement means to the students themselves. These students are hopeful to put an end to racism through the acceptance of black culture as being valuable just as any other culture.
However, the article fails to mention the peaceful and calm manner in which the students are promoting the Black Lives Matter movement. Often considered a violent crusade, BLM has even been petitioned by some in the United States to be classified as a terrorist organization. This extremist viewpoint has stemmed from the extensive media coverage of riots supporting the movement erupting in cities such as Baltimore and Charlotte in reaction to police brutality against seemingly defenseless black men.
Yet, the peaceful, receptive and progressive protests, exemplified by the UNC students, seem to gain no coverage throughout the media as it would not accumulate the same attention as reporting a violent activist movement.
Therefore, I challenge you to cover these peaceful protests and report on their ability to better represent and express the meaning of BLM through the use of calm and receptive actions.
Christian Williams
First-year
Economics
