With all of the surfacing videos of police brutality towards civilians, especially civilians of color, I have become very disappointed with our law enforcement as well as the justice system itself. When the Ferguson shooting occurred back in August of 2014, I was on my honeymoon and disconnected from the world of technology. When I returned home to Washington State, all I was seeing on television and Facebook was information about Michael Brown’s death.  Not knowing what had happened, I looked into it and discovered that this 18-year-old black man had been shot and killed by a white Ferguson police officer. My mind automatically began to think about the Civil Rights Movement and how the law would unjustly incarcerate and “control” people of color. Could this really be history repeating itself?  

This, along with the events that followed, made me begin to lose faith in our law enforcement and justice system because, regardless of what had happened prior to the shooting, this man had been fatally shot instead of being shot in the arm or leg to stop him. I was definitely upset over what happened because although I am not black, I am of color. I am brown, and this could happen to me, my family, or someone in my community.

What really hit home for me was when, in my own backyard of Washington state, Antonio Zambrano-Montes, a 35-year-old Mexican man who picked fruits from orchards, was shot 17 times as he ran away from law enforcement in Pasco, Washington. This happened on February 10, 2015 and I didn’t find this out until February 13, three days later. At first, at least in my eyes, it wasn’t broadcasted like the Ferguson shooting of Michael Brown. I have family that lives in the Tri-Cities area and it could have been them, so news of Antonio’s death struck me close to my heart. Unfortunately, this man died due to the lack of judgment by three Pasco officers. Not one, not two, but three officers. How many officers does it take to subdue a man that is unarmed in the middle of an intersection during rush hour? Are three guns really necessary? I don’t believe so. I watched the video multiple times and tried to piece together what could have led them to react this way. When I watched the video, all I could see that Antonio threw a dirt clod and ran away. The officers fired, ran after Antonio, and continued to shoot at him. When the already-dead Antonio was lying on the ground, they proceed to handcuff him. Why? Not only that, but as backup arrived at the scene, the involved officers were whisked away.

A march was organized in Seattle the following week and I attended with hopes that more people, especially Latin@s would show up. Sadly, I was wrong. I was so upset that we as Latin@s didn’t stand up for one of our own and represent our community. This came after the Superbowl. I know many Latin@s attended the Superbowl parades and events. How could the Superbowl be more important than the safety of our streets, holding law enforcement accountable, and justice?

I am blessed to be attending The Evergreen State College in Tacoma and learning about the various ways we can become more proactive citizens and create sustainable behavior. These events have led our school to become more informed, question questionable actions, stand up, and show others how to stand up for what is right as well. Our program this year is called “The Power in Our Hands: Pathways to Social Change.” As Antonio’s hands helped provide for others and his death sparked more interest in social change, I intend to use my hands to educate our communities of color on how to protect themselves and stand up for what is right. The path to social change is in our hands and if we want things to change in our nation for a better future we need to be proactive about it.

My heart goes out to all families affected by the injustice done on behalf of the law enforcement officials. Especially to the most recent known victim to police brutality, Walter Scott of South Carolina.

Guadalupe Macias Rivera is currently a Junior at The Evergreen State College – Tacoma. She is pursuing her Bachelor of Arts in Social Justice and Law all the while doing community service at St. Matthew/ San Mateo’s Jubilee Center working primarily with the immigrant community and DREAMers such as herself. In 2014 she received her Early Childhood Education & Diversity Studies Associate in Applied Science along with her Montessori Certificate allowing her to be a preschool teacher at a Montessori School. Guadalupe intends to stay committed to the community, be a voice for them as well as help them bring their voices out. In her website http://elucidationbylulu.weebly.com she clarifies points about education, beauty, health & food, and life.