Black Lives Matter is a global statement. It’s not limited to just Black Americans. It is for every person of the Black diaspora. This movement further extends to our fellow Black brothers and sisters in Nigeria.
“Black Lives Matter” unifies us by our Black ancestry and unfortunately, by our constant struggle with police brutality. It’s important for Black Americans to stand in solidarity with our Black community in Nigeria because it displays a sense of unity and loyalty for the African nation.
“What we are seeing is that there is a network of Africans, who are rising up and fighting back and demanding climate justice,” said Co-Founder of Black Lives Matter and Nigerian-American, Opal Tometi in a TEDTalk interview.
In early October, Nigerians took a political stance against social injustice and police brutality after things escalated and became deadly when law enforcement began emptying their bullet chambers on innocent people and protestors.
This is the country that houses one of the most notorious police units ever, SARS. The SARS acronym stands for the “Special Anti-Robbery Squad”. This is ironic since they have robbed the lives of many Nigerians.
College students and millennials, usually between the ages of 18 and 30, in Nigeria seem to be the target practice for SARS. This primarily seems to be the group of people who are leading some of the protesting against this terrorizing law enforcement in Nigeria.
Since 1992, this police unit has had an extensive history of harassment and abusing their power, hence the viral hashtage #EndSARS.
Twitter user @shxn_LT tweeted, “Black Lives Matter is not an American exclusive political stunt/group. It is a true, global statement. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere, stand with our Nigerian brothers and sisters. #EndSARS.”
The current climate of the world is leaving a lot of Black people either stressed out, barely can breathe, or even dead. The sad truth is Black people have been victims of these traumatic adversities since the time of slavery and colonization.
According to www.blacklivesmatter.com, “Colonialism, imperialism, capitalism, anti-Blackness, and other forms of white supremacy kill Black people across the globe. The Black Lives Matter movement, therefore, recognizes the interconnectedness of our struggles as Black people of African descent across the world.”
Black Lives Matter is a universal revolutionary movement. It is even a channel for non-black people to become allies and voice their stance against police brutality and social injustice towards Black and Brown people.
It is one of the most historical and proactive movements that the global Black community has seen.
Black Americans and Africans have had an estranged relationship due to slavery. This movement could help bridge the gap between Black Americans and Africans.
Teaming up to fight against the forces that enable all Black people to be free is a power move. It could ignite a massive revolution.
In the words of the late Black poet, Gil Scott-Heron, “The revolution will not be televised.”