BLM Should Be Looking For Answers

Dear Editor,

The death of George Floyd can serve as an eye opener for finding solutions to the flood of black homicides occurring daily across the country. All too often the early morning news is little more than a recount of the previous night’s black-against-black murders and assaults. This is not police racism, rather it is black-against-black genocide.

Black Lives Matter (BLM) and other protest groups have failed to ask a key question that goes unanswered, but eventually must be confronted head on. The question: Why was George Floyd not a married homeowner with two or three kids and a job (or jobs) to make ends meet? What prevented him from becoming that kind of person? Like anyone else, he had an opportunity to make a better life for himself; with proper guidance he might have succeeded. Nothing should have stood in his way. What happened? BLM needs to find the answer, not only for Floyd, but for millions of other black Americans in similar circumstances.

What if BLM was empowered to tackle black-against-black homicide by developing and implementing programs within the black community to encourage education, personal growth, responsibility and realization of opportunity? More federal legislation, more money, more demonstration and protest – none of these will solve the problem. More than 50 years and trillions of dollars spent has done little to improve conditions for the lot of black Americans. Yes, progress has been made, but look at what is happening across the country. No one in their right mind wants the current chaotic situation.

If Americans and BLM could agree that BLM needs to focus its strengths and abilities, not on the streets, but into the homes and hearts of African Americans, the outcome would be remarkable. BLM has a golden opportunity to change the black experience in America. An all-out BLM effort against black versus black violence could produce positive results for all Americans to cheer about.

Bill Knight

Bill Knight was the mayor of Greensboro 2009-2011