On June 26th, Philando Castile’s family reached a settlement with the city of Minnesota for $3 million -- according to the New York Times. The settlement was reached so that the city of Minnesota could avoid a federal civil rights lawsuit that the Castile family originally vowed to file. The settlement came a few days after Minnesota police officer Jeronimo Yanez was acquitted by a jury of all charges in the murder of Philando Castile last year on July 6, 2016.

Once it was released to the public that the Castile family had settled, many on social media voiced their opinion of how settling for money does not equate to the justice that needed to be and still should be served.

The clear video of Philando Castile being shot and killed by Officer Yanez in front of Castile's child and girlfriend had people thinking that it would be a “no-brainer” conviction of Officer Yanez because he was undoubtedly in the wrong. However, once again the “justice system” proved that is not for people of color but against.

Show me the money?

The Castile family is just one of many African-American families that have accepted Settlements from cities where their loved ones were killed by that city’s law enforcement. Last year, Cleveland reached a settlement with Tamir Rice’s family, the 12-year-old that was fatally shot by an officer while he was playing with a toy gun on November 22, 2014, for $6 million.

Danroy Henry Jr., the 20-year-old African-American college student who was shot and killed by a Pleasantville police officer on October 17, 2010; his family received a $6 million settlement last year from the village of Pleasantville, NY. Michael Brown, another young African-American male killed on August 9, 2014 by a Ferguson, Missouri police officer; his family just reached a settlement last month with the city of Ferguson for $1.5 million.

The trend of “pay to right the wrong” by these cities whose police officers murder innocent African-American males with zero convictions for their crimes is alarming and needs to be reevaluated. No amount of money will bring back these families’ loved ones, nor will it bring justice for these young lives that were taken far too soon.

When will justice actually be served?

One must wonder, why is it so easy for a city to give millions to a family whose loved one was murdered by a city’s police officer rather than help fight for that police officer to be convicted of the murder he committed? Would it not be “easier” for someone in a position of “power” to demand justice for the victim who unequivocally deserves it? It seems that those within the “justice system” will always look out for their “own” no matter the wrong done.

Settlements are a cop-out for a city to basically say, “Sorry our law enforcement officers that are supposed to protect the innocent murdered your innocent loved one. Take this money and go away." We are living in very dangerous times and if we don’t stand for something, we will surely fall for anything.

A major change needs to take place. Let’s start with publicly calling out these cities like Minnesota, Cleveland, Pleasantville, and Ferguson, for offering “blood money” as a token for their failure to prosecute these "trigger happy" officers.