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‘Black Lives Matter’ Movement Seeks Reforms to End Police Brutality1
WASHINGTON—
The Black Lives Matter movement is renewing calls to end police brutality and is pushing for criminal justice reforms across the United States. The social movement is trying to influence public opinion while deflecting2 criticism it has not created enough positive change.
"No Justice! No Peace!," demonstrators chanted as part of a loud cry heard around the country in 2015. Thousands of supporters were demanding sweeping3 changes to the nation's criminal justice system.
The movement, formed in 2012, has been gaining support over the past two years following a series of high-profile police encounters that led to the deaths of unarmed African Americans.
Activists5 say they want to end what they describe as police brutality and racial discrimination in mostly black neighborhoods.
Black Lives Matter member Dennis Rodriguez says the movement is growing.
"The movement has opened our eyes to everything," he said. "It has helped us [people of color] understand that while we may not be seen as human or powerful currently that the fruits of our labor6 will soon come."
Black Lives Matter has been increasing its profile through street protests and a strong social media campaign. The movement is pressuring lawmakers and potential presidential contenders to address their concerns.
"It has prompted us to start talking about police reform again that we had ignored since September 11th, 2001, when we had been more focused on national security rather than community policing," said political analyst7 Elsie Scott.
"I want to deal with what we can do to keep people from putting themselves in situations where you get bad outcomes," said E. W. Jackson, a pastor8 and conservative community activist4.
Jackson says Black Lives Matter should put as much emphasis on the dozens of daily black-on-black homicides as opposed to focusing solely9 on killings10 by police officers.
"If you paint the picture that all of your problems have to do with race or have to do with police brutality then it seems to me you are avoiding essential issues," he said.
But attorney and Washington, D.C. community activist Nkechi Taifa disagrees.
"It is not to say that all lives do not matter. What it means is that specific attention at this period, at this time, needs to be placed on people who are most adversely11 impacted by the laws and policies that are going on," she said.
Yet former police officer Leon Threatt believes Black Lives Matter has been more divisive than a uniting movement.
"It should not be the police against the community," he said. "It should be helping12 to create an environment or a platform for community oneness [to] bring those parties to the table talking about trusting."
Leaders of Black Lives Matter say the organization is working to build relationships with police departments. They say they will continue to stage street protests to highlight deadly or violent confrontations13 between black men and police officers.
1 brutality | |
n.野蛮的行为,残忍,野蛮 | |
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2 deflecting | |
(使)偏斜, (使)偏离, (使)转向( deflect的现在分词 ) | |
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3 sweeping | |
adj.范围广大的,一扫无遗的 | |
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4 activist | |
n.活动分子,积极分子 | |
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5 activists | |
n.(政治活动的)积极分子,活动家( activist的名词复数 ) | |
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6 labor | |
n.劳动,努力,工作,劳工;分娩;vi.劳动,努力,苦干;vt.详细分析;麻烦 | |
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7 analyst | |
n.分析家,化验员;心理分析学家 | |
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8 pastor | |
n.牧师,牧人 | |
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9 solely | |
adv.仅仅,唯一地 | |
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10 killings | |
谋杀( killing的名词复数 ); 突然发大财,暴发 | |
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11 adversely | |
ad.有害地 | |
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12 helping | |
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的 | |
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13 confrontations | |
n.对抗,对抗的事物( confrontation的名词复数 ) | |
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