Carmel Mangum
- Title
- Carmel Mangum (Abstract)
- Interviewer
- Naeem Mangum
- Date
- November 28, 2023
- Location of the Interview
- Zoom
- Length
- 48 minutes, 54 seconds
- Abstract
-
Carmel Mangum, the interviewee, is a college student at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. In the interview, Carmel discusses her outlook on and relationship with the Black Lives Matter movement. Carmel first learned of Black Lives Matter a bit before the widespread protests over George Floyd's murder, when awareness of the movement was not as large as it is now. Her initial perspective was positive - she agreed with the mission to protest unequal treatment of people of color. Throughout the interview, Carmel references her membership in the Baha'i faith community, which promotes the oneness of humanity across identities. This grounds her view that true change requires moving beyond political divisions to uplift one another. As Black Lives Matter gained traction, Carmel felt increasingly torn. While passionate about addressing injustice, she grew concerned by rising anger and divisiveness. Once the movement became partisan, with "Black Lives Matter" countered by "All Lives Matter," Carmel pulled back her direct involvement to avoid the politics and keep a spiritual principle of unity. Still, the movement impacted her life. It exacerbated her distrust of police due to high-profile instances of brutality. Ultimately, Carmel judges Black Lives Matter a success in awareness-raising but a failure in sustaining an impartial, unifying spirit. She hopes society realizes the need to collaborate, not divide, to remedy inequality. Additional key details include Carmel's experiences
living in different Georgia areas, her passion for service work, both domestic and global, and her perspective on the positives and pitfalls of social media engagement. The interview offers one student's complex perspective on the promises and limitations of mass social justice movements.
Part of Carmel Mangum