In addition to the article focused on the historical devastation after the earthquake in Italy, I also felt that the Time's article showed the importance of historical preservation, because it helps us to understand our current situation and how we got to this point. Namely, how the historical lives of African Americans contributed to the social inequality present in modern American society.
The article begins with a discussion of how activists are participating in the political area in order to create change. For example, Black Lives Matter members arranged a meeting with the 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, as well as questioned her at an Atlanta campaign stop concerning legislation to further their cause. As the article proceeds, the reader finds that the protesters actions had a significant impact on Secretary Clinton when she add stances such as promoting the use of body cameras on police officers, "[denouncing] mass incarceration", and "[refusing] donations from private-prison lobbyists". Further, the activists work continued to sweep the nation using various methods to address not only police brutality, but also other social issues "from gender inequality to the minimum wage to housing and education policy".
From there, the article then discusses the "accidental" roots of the movement. More specifically, Alicia Garza tweeted “Black people. I love you. I love us. Our lives matter.” after the acquittal of George Zimmerman. Her friend, Patrisse Cullors, later created the hashtag that would transcend the nation. Since the creation, the Black Lives Matter movement has gained momentum through both physical demonstrations and social media resulting in "nearly 30 official chapters, including an outpost in Canada". One of the most active sites of the movement is college campuses. For example, football players at the University of Missouri boycotted the team after the system president "[failed] to address allegations of racism on campus". He was removed shortly there after.
Although the effects of the Black Lives Movement is contested amongst various groups, there is no question that the movement has made a significant impact on American culture. In order to move forward we must first recognize where we are and how we got there. As I previously mentioned to do this we have to understand where we went wrong and how we can improve. This relates to "Parting Ways', because methods used in the reading can restore and preserve lost information about the condition of African Americans in the past. Additionally, the movement promotes the idea that black lives matter both in the past, present, and future. "Parting Ways" is an example of how historians can preserve the history of all people, no matter their race.
Altman, Alex. "Black Lives Matter."Time, 2016. Retrieved from http://time.com/time-person-of-the-year-2015-runner-up-black-lives-matter/. Accessed 3 February 2017.