The Black Lives Matter movement is a huge topic at the moment. There are many different views on the violence going on with the movement. The protest in Cleveland turned violent. The protest we had in Lakewood was peaceful.

Talking to a few other Lakewood students and their beliefs they all have similar opinions on the controversial topic. Senior, Janiya Jones, believes that rioting is necessary. “Buildings can be replaced our lives can’t,” Janiya says “If your son, brother, or husband didn’t return home, then you would burn the city down too. For ages, African American people have tried being peaceful but we are still being killed due to the color of our skin.”

Another Lakewood high school student I spoke with has the same beliefs. Senior, Caitlin Pressnell believes that our voice has not been heard and this is the best way to be heard.

This is not a trend. This is very serious. African Americans are tired and are ready to fight back. We have not been heard through our cries, so people are taking it into their own hands.