Senator Mitt Romney, a Republican stalwart, joined a Black Lives Matter march. Some NASCAR drivers, whose fan base includes legions of conservative whites, embraced the phrase. So did NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred and executives of all 30 major league teams. The mayor of Washington ordered the words painted in large letters on a street near the White House. Now, Black Lives Matter Plaza turns up in driving directions from Google Maps.
Those feelings, familiar to many blacks in law enforcement for years, have never been more intense than in the days since George Floyd, a black man in Minneapolis, died after a white officer jammed his knee into Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes as other officers watched.
The nationwide demonstrations in the U.S. protesting the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis have also been accompanied in some instances by looting and vandalism. In one immigrant community near Los Angeles, residents are angry and fearful after seeing their livelihoods destroyed in just one night. This latest experience brings back painful memories of the past