Examining Freeway Shutdowns: Black Lives Matter and Civil Rights Act

This essay provides an overview of the Black Lives Matter movement and its use of freeway shutdowns as a form of protest against racial violence and discrimination in the United States. It highlights the historical context of the Black population's struggle for equal rights, referencing the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the ongoing issues of police brutality. The essay discusses the constitutional rights to protest and the impact of these demonstrations on public perception, particularly regarding the portrayal of law enforcement. It also introduces the Black Lives Matter organization, its mission, and its role in advocating for the rights of Black people in the face of systemic injustice within the criminal justice system.

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Black Lives Matter: Shutting down of freeways
The Black population in the US have been treated as second grade citizens since times
immemorial. They were bought as slaves from Africa. During the 1950s, the civil rights
movements reached their peak as far as the welfare of the black population is concerned.
Various activists such as Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King spearheaded such kind of
protests thereby garnering a huge support. As a result, John F. Kennedy during his tenure of
Presidency initiated a policy regarding affirmative action with reference to the upliftment of
the blacks and other minority groups in the US who were disadvantaged earlier.
Subsequently, the Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964 during his Presidency. Title VII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 implies that there should not be any kind of discrimination based on
gender, race, ethnic origin or skin colour. It implies that derogatory treatment towards blacks
must be severely dealt with. The main objective of the essay is to present an overview of the
protests by the blacks for their appropriate entitlements and the outcome being the closure of
the freeways. Off late, these kinds of incidents have taken place in the US to a huge level.
In the recent past, a freeway in the region of Sacramento, California was shutdown
when a black man without the possession of any arms was gunned down by the police. As a
result, protests were organised. As a result, traffic was stalled for a considerable time thereby
casing hassles for motorists during the rush hour. It is one of the most notable examples of
freeway protests with regard to the protection of blacks as far as their right to life and
personal liberty is concerned with reference to Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution of
the US along with the Equal Protection Clause. The First Amendment of the Constitution of
the US implies the right to protest by people or groups with reference to the presentation of
grievances and the Congress is restricted to pass any legislation or enactment in this regard.
In the last five years, these kinds of incidents have been recorded in the US to a massive
extent as far as disruption of freeway traffic is concerned. It has also led to the branding of
police as racist due to the shooting down of black people by cops taking account of such
protests in the freeways.
Black Lives Matter is an organisation at the international level established on 13th July
2018 with an objective to campaign for the black people all over the world with reference to
racial violence and discriminatory treatment meted out against them. The founders of Black
Lives Matter include African-American ladies Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal
Tometi. It is headquartered in the US. It has hitherto advocated for the rights of blacks
particularly in the US with regard to the ambiguity in the criminal justice system of the US
taking account of the police shootings directed to the blacks in various parts of the US.