On July 17, 2014, Eric Garner died of a heart attack after being put in an chokehold by Justin Pantaleo of the NYPD. December 3, 2014, the Grand Jury decided not to indict the officer, despite chokeholds being a violation of NYPD’s policy. Again, America’s Grand Jury has failed to recognize the blatant racially motivated police brutality, fueling protestors’ anguish as they continue to fight for the deinstitutionalization of racism sewn into America’s police force.

Protests and demonstrations over the Grand Jury’s recent decision passionately blaze in city streets today. Marches, walk-outs, dine-ins, and moments of silence, have taken place all over the country and even the world. Activists in Ferguson, New York City, Los Angeles, Boston and many other American cities have taken part in the fight. Even places as far as Palestine are demonstrating their support for black lives. The hashtag “#ICantBreathe”, which were Eric Garners last words that he reportedly repeated many times to the officer has run as the main saying promoting this movement, along with “#HandsUpDontShoot” and “#BlackLivesMatter”.

There has been controversy over the intensity of these protests. Many believe that protestors in Ferguson are acting too brutally, such as when a couple demonstrators burned the American flag. However it’s time to ask yourself: what’s more important, a piece of fabric or black lives? Protestors in New York City tried to shut down the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in an epic attempt of strength; however many believed the activists should not be getting in the way of such a fun tradition. Again it is time to ask yourself: what’s more important, a couple of floats and balloons, or black lives?

Injustice towards black people in America runs rampant today. Although many Americans try to believe today that racism is gone and that we live in a “color blind” society, we do not. Black children like Tamir Rice, shot for wielding a toy air soft gun, are dead. Black teenagers like Michael Brown, shot for causing a threat towards a cop although unarmed, are dead. Unarmed, black adults like Eric Garner, Yvette Smith, and many more, are dead. All these unarmed black people were shot and killed for one undeniable reason: their skin color.