The Millions March NYC

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Part A: Activism is the practice of taking action in support or opposition of a cause or controversial issue (Activism). Millions March NYC is a New York City based activist coalition combatting the issues of police brutality, institutionalized racism, and an examination of the New York Police Department in order to ensure a better treatment of all New Yorkers, primarily focusing on the lives of members of vulnerable populations, particularly black lives. This is a coalition of young activists from various racial backgrounds who are demanding for the justice of the victims of police violence and police brutality. Right now, they are one of the many faces of activism in New York City and the surrounding areas. In the wake of recent cases …show more content…

Two black organizers, Synead Nichols and Umaara Elliot, lead the coalition and created in response to the lack of justice they’ve seen in recent police shootings and police brutality cases in New York City. Specifically, the two young women were inspired to create an action plan directly after hearing that a grand jury in Missouri decided not to indict Darren Wilson in the shooting and murder of Michael Brown—a decision that was announced to the nation November of last year, 2014 (Lewis, 2015). Millions March NYC first gained attention and a large following and support in the weeks before their first organized event, a march in Manhattan on December 13, 2014. The march had over 50,000 people in attendance on the day of the event and the march spanned about 5 miles. Millions March NYC has hosted several smaller marches and protests after the first march. The direct goals for this march were to exercise the right to protest and express emotions, let the world know that Black lives do matter, demand justice for the victims of an abuse of power, and to promote the idea that the people can impact change within their community. The organizer’s immediate demands were for the firing of Daniel Pantaleo, the police officer responsible for the chokehold arrest and death of Eric Garner, an independent prosecutor’s office for police misconduct, release of the names of officers involved in fatal incidents within …show more content…

They hold biweekly meetings to discuss upcoming events, community needs and outreach, and building a stronger sense of community in the coalition. If they are not hosting their own protest or march, they promote and attend other activism driven events in the tri-state area that align with Millions March’s beliefs, values, and demands. As an organization, they stand in solidarity with organizations all over the country with similar goals who have also come together for action in response to the victims of police brutality and abuse of power. In addition to stand in solidarity with cities like Baltimore, Oakland, Charleston, and Ferguson, Millions March NYC is dedicated to educating the community. They hold educational workshops about global and local issues. Their workshops cover issues like oppression in youth, safety in the LGBT community, the history of movements and liberation, and the connection between what’s happening in our own communities and the militarized policing in Palestine. They make an effort to make sure that members of the community are aware of the issues as well as their

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