July 2020
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An American Tradition
As we celebrate the Fourth of July this year, our rights and freedoms are on the minds of a lot of people. As protesting broke out across the country over the last couple of months following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, people want to know their voices are heard and that they matter. At Herrman & Herrman, we stand with the Black Lives Matter movement. We also believe it’s important to have tough conversations about our society and race because we recognize that many aspects are broken and desperately need to be fixed.
the Civil Rights Movement really took hold. For years, people protested and participated in civil disobedience. You have names like Rosa Parks, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Elizabeth Eckford of the Little Rock Nine, and Malcolm X entering the public consciousness again — and all for different reasons, yet as part of the same larger movement. Today, you have names like Colin Kaepernick, George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor entering the conversation. While Floyd and Taylor are no longer with us due to the poor actions of law enforcement in Minneapolis and Louisville respectively, their names ring loudly. People march in the streets saying their names for all to hear. Kaepernick, as you may know, is the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback turned civil rights activist. In 2016, he garnered national attention when he sat down during “The Star-Spangled Banner.” In a later game, he was seen kneeling. His reasoning: “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football, and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.” Like with many protests, Kaepernick received a lot of negative criticism for his actions. But that wasn’t about to stop him. He continued the practice of kneeling, but more importantly, he donated a significant amount to organizations that operated in oppressed communities, including Mothers Against Police Brutality. In Minneapolis, after weeks of protest, several city council members stated they intend to defund and restructure the city’s police department. In Washington, D.C., several politicians introduced legislation to reform police across the country. Things are changing, though there is still much to be done in the wake of both the coronavirus pandemic, economic recession, and police brutality. Through it all, though, we can say one thing: Protesting does work. After all, it is an American tradition.
Throughout American history, change was effected through protesting. As kids, we learn about the Boston Tea Party. In 1773, the Sons of Liberty felt their rights were being violated due to the Townshend Acts — a series of acts enacted by British parliament that dictated various taxes, among other things. So, the protesters boarded British East India Company ships docked in Boston, took the chests of tea, and threw them into the Boston Harbor. The British government was not happy, and they responded through the use of force and oppression. This led to the American Revolution. This act of protesting changed the course of history. One group of people felt oppressed, and they acted. While it took time and hard work — not to mention many lives lost — the course of history was changed. As Americans, we’ve come a long way since the Boston Tea Party and the American Revolution. We have our Constitution and Bill of Rights, but we also know we need more. Everyone needs more. It’s one thing to be told we live in a free country, but it’s another to actually see so many people being oppressed and having their voices silenced. American history is full of people who said “enough” and did something. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, people stood up for civil rights as
-Greg Herrman
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