Will the Black Lives matter movement create lasting change?

There is a clear set of proposals to defeat systemic racism

Question: Will the Black Lives matter movement create lasting change?
Position1 of 2›: Yes, the #BLM Protests will create lasting change
Argument‹3 of 4›: There is a clear set of proposals to defeat systemic racism

“The protesters who have turned out over the past week also seem to be more aware of structural racism in the past, and prepared to combat it. Many seem to recognize that the criminal justice system is just one part of a panorama of structures of oppression across this country, from the criminalization of the poor to widespread, unequal access to housing, nutritious food, employment, environmental safety, health care, clean air, water and citizenship.” — Peniel E. Joseph, Politico

The argument

The Black Lives Matter protests will lead to lasting change because there is a set of clear proposals. A clear set of proposals have been written and disbursed by leaders of the movement. It is now a matter of lawmakers, members of congress, and politicians alike to see that these proposals are implemented nationwide. In 2015, Black Lives Matter released a series of policy solutions to address police killings, excessive force, profiling and racial discrimination, and other problems in law enforcement, called "Campaign Zero." The proposal they put out was comprehensive and all-encompassing. It included a call to end policing that leads to mass arrests for low-level offenses such as drinking in public, end policing for profit, limit the use of force, demilitarization, mandatory body cams, de-escalation, and racial bias training, etc. Some but not all of these proposals were adopted by police departments around the nation. It is now 2020, and once again the Black Lives Matter Movement has introduced a revamped set of proposals to address racial injustice in America drawn up by the Movement for Black Lives. The BREATHE Act is a four-part proposal named after the phrase uttered by victims of police brutality like Eric Garner and George Floyd. The core of this proposal is to redirect federal funds away from police, prisons, and other parts of the criminal justice system and into underserved communities of color. A clear and comprehensive set of policies and reform initiatives are included in the four-part proposal, it is widely available to the public, and it has been championed by prominent progressive leaders in congress.

Premises

[P1]Lasting change requires a clear, comprehensive set of policy proposals that lawmakers can implement. [P2] The Black Lives Matter movement has produced such proposals, including Campaign Zero in 2015 and the BREATHE Act in 2020, addressing policing, criminal justice, and investment in communities of color. [P3] These proposals are publicly available and have already been championed by prominent progressive leaders in Congress and partially adopted by police departments. [C] Therefore, the BLM protests will create lasting change because the concrete policy roadmap needed to defeat systemic racism is already in place.

Counter-arguments

Because the Black Lives Matter movement and protests are not led by one single leader, but rather by hundreds of prominent activists, politicians, and public figures who each have their own unique ideas about proposals for racial justice, the BLM platform has become convoluted and unclear in their goals. Statements like “Defund the Police” and “End Systemic Racism” are the rallying cry of the protesters but their actual proposals haven’t made it to mainstream news channels and into the hands of U.S congressmen and women.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P1] Clear proposals are at most necessary, not sufficient. Movements have produced detailed platforms for a century without those platforms becoming law; what converts a proposal into legislation is a coalition the premise never describes. [Rejecting P2] These are two documents five years apart, with different authors and different emphases — one reforming police practice, the other redirecting funds away from policing altogether. That plurality is exactly what the opposing case means when it calls the platform unclear. [Rejecting P3] Public availability and support from some legislators is a long way from passage. Neither measure commanded a majority in either chamber, and what reached the wider public were slogans rather than the proposals themselves.

Proponents cited

Patrisse Cullors-Brignac
“We are a generation that wants to make sure that the needs of all Black people are met. We believe the BREATHE Act is that legislation. It's an act that is pushing us to look at the future of this country, an act that is mandating and demanding a new future and policies that are courageous and visionary.”
Alica Garza
“We have our solutions. We want the rights of protesters to be respected. We want a divestment from the police and an investment in black communities. We are demanding immediate relief for our communities. We want community control. We want an end to this war against black people. So we are clear in our demands, and we have demands for each city, so each city has its own unique demands, especially cities that are very active in these protests right now.”