On May 25th, 2020, the death of an American, George Floyd, immediately triggered the grief and anger from the heart of people all over the world. The movement calling for discontent spread and expanded very fast, erupting in protests among many states in the US. What we can see from this event is the historical problem and implicit bias that should have already been addressed, relating to mankind’s justice, equality, and friendship, which was cruelly revealed to the public again. All the past history of cruelty, killing, and bullying of people of color should end once and for all, and we have to find a way for everyone to be aware of the problem; this is an indisputable and fundamental political, moral and ethical bottom line that a community with a shared future for mankind must realize.

       On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, an African-American man, was pinned to the ground by three policemen in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the back of his neck pressed by the knee of an officer, and at last suffocated to death. In the video, for several minutes before Floyd appeared motionless with his head against the pavement, it is clearly heard that he pleaded and screamed to the officer: “My stomach hurts, my neck hurts, everything hurts --- Give me some water or something. Please. Please. Please, I can’t breathe --- Momma! Momma!” Although the video shows he had been completely subdued and begged the officer to give him more space to breathe, along with bystanders’ who gathered and yelled reminders to officers that Floyd’s nose was bleeding and he was not even resisting arrest, officers continuously pressed Floyd’s neck. At last, this horrifying incident hit directly to many people’s hearts, not only those of black people facing similar circumstances in the past or present, but also other people of color involved in the storms of implicit biases from society.

         As news stations reported on this gut-wrenching incident and video footage went viral, the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement began to protest the injustice. There are various debates and multiple explanations for the outbreak of protests, and two possible reasons that exacerbated the conflict. The first underlying problem exposed through Floyd’s death is the implicit bias in society. Sometimes people don’t even notice their motivations, actions, and responses are mixed with various kinds of long-standing prejudices. A Netflix series called “When They See Us” by director Ava DuVernay, adapted from a true story in 1989, depicts another notable issue causing public debate. The case, known as The Central Park Five, involved a group of boys in Central Park and a 26-year-old female jogger who was found raped in the park. This crime quickly drew officers’ attention, resulting in the incarceration of the five young children. At the beginning of the second episode of the series, the monologist opens with a description of where African-Americans live, how African-Americans live, and even African Americans’ goals to show different perceptions of African-Americans, reminding viewers of the strong stereotypes that associate negative and violent images with black people. Placed in the beginning of the program, the opening statement also serves as a notification to the ensuing story that many people believed the five boys had raped a white woman. The implicit biases and racial profiling influenced the public and jury to make the decision, instead of maintaining the idea that the five boys were innocent until proven guilty. The problem continued to escalate, resulting in ingrained attitudes in racial injustice. The Central Park Five faced implicit bias and racial profiling based on this long-standing belief, unjustly causing them all to be convicted of crimes and sentenced for more than ten years. This intentional discrimination also appeared in the problem extending from the death of Floyd, as officers regarded Floyd as a former criminal and drug user. Even without having exact evidence to arrest him, the group of officers surrounding Floyd utilized an excessive use of force and violence to almost completely restrain him on the pavement, unable to breathe.

     The second aspect relates to the rapid spread and rendering role of the issue on social media. The BLM movement intentionally was to express the public’s discontent and disappointment of the status quo, wishing that leaders and officials would immediately give a resolution and explanation, contributing to a more peaceful and stable society; however, several weeks after the first protest, the issue gradually reversed to another scene, giving lawbreakers and extremists more space to freely spread hate speech and information online through Twitter, Facebook, and other websites, instigating the public to be filled with agitation. Furthermore, according to the news, “Protesters tore town a stature of George Washington in Portland on June 18, 2020,” and “A group of approximately twenty people gathered around the statue in the late evening, where some protesters wrapped the statue’s head in an American flag and lit on fire.” Social media usually is the quickest channel to spread either honor or rumor, which sometimes will impact the development of the whole event. The conviction of The Central Park Five was also incited through the media by calling the group of African American and Latino boys hanging out at the Central Park “wild animals,” and even encouraging the judge to sentence them to death. Without knowing the background information, many rational audiences may also be persuaded by ambiguous claims that tend to provoke more problems.

       The most important element that deepens the consideration of inequality is the stubborn cultural thought of one race to another. In order to build a more flourishing future, leaders will need to pay careful attention to signal the hashtags relating to hatred and extremist information. They can examine each tag sent online, and if someone is presenting an extremist view, they can be prohibited from uploading it. To avoid the ambiguous cultural prejudice inherited to younger generations, full, clear, and convincing lessons should be set up to explain the only difference between people is skin color. Besides that, they are family that should gather together towards to the same goal: uniting.