For over 30 years satellite radio political commentator and author Dr. Wilmer Leon has witnessed protests surrounding racism– from the Rodney King verdict, to the uproar over the acquittal of George Zimmerman who killed Trayvon Martin and now the most recent uprising following the death of George Floyd.
While there were massive national demonstrations that illuminated the plight of Black men in the aftermath of those lapses in justice, Dr. Leon remains cautiously optimistic that the worldwide upheavel following Floyd’s apparent murder by Minneapolis police will result in meaningful change.
Leon said he finds it interesting to see the “ethnic dynamics” of White people walking down the street with Black Americans in mostly peaceful non-violent civil disobedience.
“For some it’s a fashion statement; they put on their (Black Lives Matter) t-shirts and masks and hold up the signs so when they turn 60 they can say I was cool and down with the cause,” Dr. Leon added.
“They had seen pictures like the Rodney King video although many didn’t want to believe their lying eyes back then,” Dr. Leon said.
