Oprah Supports the Florida Students. Does Black Lives Matter?
In a tweet posted on Tuesday, the media mogul Oprah Winfrey promised to pledge $500,000 towards the Parkland students’ March For Our Lives rally, which will take place on 24 March in Washington DC. The aftermath of the deadly mass shooting has seen students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school in Parkland, Florida, call for tougher gun control measures, pleading with senators to vote against a bill protecting the right to carry assault rifles and planning a nationwide walkout on 20 April.
Winfrey has joined the ranks of public figures commending the Parkland students for their bravery and courage in the face of what’s become a typical American tragedy. In her tweet, she likened them to the Freedom Riders of the 1960s who fought against segregation and racism by riding integrated buses throughout the south.
There’s no question that solidarity from influential figures can help sustain the momentum being formed by the students. But there’s something unsettling about Winfrey’s immediate support of them, in contrast with her comments on the #BlackLivesMatter movement in early 2015.
SOURCE ⇒ THEGUARDIAN
