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THURSDAY FEBRUARY 1, 2018
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Opinion: Why Black Lives Matter
A LOOK INSIDE
BY REBECCA TORO CORRESPONDENT
Black History Month. An important time to address the social and racial injustice within our country. A time to address all of the grand achievements created and acted upon from African Americans. “Black History Month to me is just a focal point in the year to really highlight and acknowledge black culture and the exceptional contributions in black history,” said Tionna Washington a sophomore management information systems student from Morgantown. This month we commemorate activists such as Martin Luther King Jr., who did not die for racial equality, but was murdered. However, in his lifetime he became one of the most visible civil rights spokespersons and leader of the 1960’s. We commemorate Rosa Parks who spurred the 381-day Montgomery Bus Boycott for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger on a segregated bus. Malcolm X, a human’s rights activist, a black nationalist leader and a spokesman for the Nation of Islam during the 50s and 60s whose life was cut short. This month is an opportunity to commemorate all of those who went against the norms to bring awareness to issues such as police violence, which is still prevalent today. Activist and former football player Colin Kaepernick kneeled during the national anthem in protest of the loss of black lives due to police brutality. While Kaepernick’s message has been debated and analyzed several
Free community college with conditions New “WV Invests Grant Program” could give eligible students free community college. page 3
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Black Lives Matter participant holds a sign in the Black Lives Matter march. times, his initial purpose was to shed light on the treatment of minorities in this country, both by the police and otherwise. Jemele Hill, a sports journalist for ESPN, created controversy by posting a tweet which referred to Trump as a “white supremacist.” Hill was called to be fired from ESPN due to her post. She regrets using social media to express her remarks, but she said she does not regret what she said. This is also a time to remember victims of police brutality, such as Oscar Grant, Eric Gartner, Sandra Bland, Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown Jr. and the hundreds of other people of color killed each year by police. In 2018 so far, 89 people have
already been shot and killed by police. Eighteen of those 89 were black. African-American lives made 20 percent of those murdered. Ninety-four percent of the police members did not have a body camera on to record the incident, according to The Washington Post. “Police brutality and hate crimes towards African Americans should be talked about every day. it shouldn’t be brought to the light because of Black History Month,” said The Washington Post. Black History Month is also a time to thank all those who helped turn #Blacklivesmatter into a worldwide movement. According to the Blacklives-
matter website, the group’s mission is to, “Build local power and to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes.” This is the time to show that Black lives matter too and that Black lives cannot be belittled due to the color of their skin. That everyone deserves opportunities to not live in fear because of their skin tone. Black History Month is a reflection on the good, the bad and the ugly within the United States. This month means the unity of all African-Americans, immigrants and Afro-Latinos, all working together and all recognizing one another’s achievements and accolades over the years.
Consequences of playing video games Playing video games for an extended amount of time may have harmful consequences. page 4
Women’s basketball shows potential With a tough loss to Baylor, WVU women’s basketball learns that finishing is crucial. page 10
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