If you’re interested in sharing your opinion on any cultural, political or personal topic, create an account here and check out our how-to post to learn more.

____

While many of the protests are winding down in the states, is there another way for people to keep up the momentum when it comes to putting pressure on their local law enforcement agencies and the system in general? I believe so.

Throughout the course of history, we can find factions that rebelled against brutal and corrupt systems by turning things up a notch by boycotting. Retaliating against the system by taking this unorthodox approach towards corrupt police is something that I consider to be a lost art form.

Making an example of every business and corporation in every city and the tri-state area by boycotting is nearly impossible these days, since millennials are a different breed from those that lived during our grandparents' era. But what many of them don't realize is that one of the best ways of making your voice heard involves boycotting.

For example, take a look at the BDS movement (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions), which is a global movement that is made up of people of every walk of life who dedicate their time boycotting works to end international support for Israel's oppression of Palestinians, pressuring Israel to comply with international law.

By applying economic pressure on the state of Minnesota, because of the actions of the four men that allowed George Floyd to die, is maybe something that we should think about doing. The same thing applies to the Breonna Taylor incident and how we should be eager to retaliate against the corrupt judicial system of Kentucky.

When all of the protests cease, what will be your next move? Will you wait until the next time one of our own gets brutally killed in their own home or out there in the streets? Or will you keep on pounding the pavement?

For far too long, I believe we haven't been doing enough. No matter how much we protest or riot, we eventually stop fighting back.

If you want to shake the system up and make a change that will affect your people, kids and your children's children, you will have to do more than mourn, protest, riot, then rinse and repeat every time there are casualties by the police.

So how would one boycott in the state of Minnesota if you are a native to Minnesota?

One way to show the state of Minnesota that you are taking back your power is by boycotting shopping centers and corporations that give their data to local police centers.

How does one boycott the system 365 days of the year if they're tired of dealing with the system?

Purchasing things from your own community is a start, but there is a greater way to show disdain towards the system — buy land. Perhaps practicing separatism is what is needed these days.

So, what do you think will happen to the state of Minnesota if 8% of its community that is melanated decided to be set apart from everybody else by buying land? This would be a huge gamechanger. Then perhaps over time this would set off a chain reaction and more people of color would copy them.

The late Reverend Martin Luthor King didn't say that "the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land" for no reason. So why don’t we make an effort to free thyself?

Those who like to walk over us in this society, even though we built this nation, will never learn until we show force. And those that abuse their power won't hesitate to end our loved ones’ lives, so why are we hesitating to do what needs to be done? Let’s use our Black dollar for change.

Ctipp

Writing since February 2022 · 1 story contributed