Master Narrative and the Bridge

Just like the master narrative, the rhetoric released after the incident on the bridge made one believe that there has been minimal progress in the black lives matter movement. What does the master narrative tell us? It creates a beginning and an end of the struggle. There is a sense passivity in the tone of narrative. While it mentions the passing of the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act, it does not show the immediate outcomes of that legislation.  It is very top-down when describing how change occurs with movement starting with the president and creating a change down the line. This narrative has unfortunately found its way into the current black lives matters movement. With the article discussing the protest on the bridge, it seemed as though it mirrored the wording of the master narrative.

There was an emphasis on how peaceful the protest was and how effectively the non-violent actions were working. The master narrative would have us believe that this protest erupted out of nowhere, but instead some people see this as either the culmination of things or the launching point of the movement. It seems as though those are the three views that one can have about the protest on the bridge. It it either came out of nowhere, it was the final straw as to events that preceded it, or it was the start of an even greater event. The article continues as thought the protest was a culmination of preceding events. I say this because of how they talk about the heroic measures taken by the interim chief of police and the lack of attendance from the mayor. There is recognition that there was a moment on the bridge, but there is no hint as to what the moment leads to. The important thing to take away from the moment on the bridge was not the heroic measures taken by the chief of police or the peaceful ways in which the people of Memphis protested. It is instead important to recognize who participated in this movement. It was not the political class of Memphis that made this protest happen, but instead a large number of millennials banding together. It is the youth that has the power to change and alter the black lives matter movement. All in all, the master narrative did not pay attention to the things that were important to the movement, but instead focused on what can save America the most face. Currently the wording and emphasis in this article is the same as the master narrative, positive and not focused on the true issue.