We have all heard about the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter at some point, between the news, social media, and protests many people have strong opinions either for or against it.
Before casting your judgement upon the movement, yes a movement, one must be educated.
Black Lives Matter is not just a hashtag. Black Lives Matter is a movement started in 2012 after the death of Trayvon Martin at the hands of George Zimmerman. It has only grown in supporters since then. The BLM movement is an organization that stands up against all black life oppression. America screams equality but oppresses people of color. BLM demands no more, it must be stopped.
Many times the Black Lives Matter movement is seen as racist. People respond to the movement with the hashtag #AllLivesMatter arguing that black lives shouldn’t be singled out. What people fail to see or actually what they decide to see and hear is a “just” in front of the #BlackLivesMatter handle, implying that the movement is saying just black lives matter when that is not at all the case. Of everything people can imagine in front or after the hashtag it is the most negative thing. Something else people of color often experience, never being given the benefit of the doubt and being placed beside negative connotations. What the movement is saying, is not that just black lives matter but that black lives matter too. Of course all lives matter, BLM isn’t saying that isn’t true. What the movement is trying to get others to understand is way to often, black lives is not seen to be apart of #AllLivesMatter simply because of the shade of skin. Many people may say, “well that’s simply not true, of course your lives matter, we all matter.” This statement is simply an insult to the movement. When that statement is thrown out you are choosing not to hear. You are choosing not to see. Us. Black Lives. It is like going to a breast cancer rally and screaming all cancer matters. It doesn’t make sense. You are screaming the obvious. Of course all cancer matters, but we are focused on breast cancer right now. This is how the #BlackLivesMatter movement feels when #AllLivesMatters is thrown in it’s face.
When to protest, and how to protest is a big deal among the BLM as well. When marching and chanting is going on they say, “Don’t be violent.”, “Here goes the race card being played, again.”, “Be peaceful.” , and ”Sit down and be quiet.” Let’s take for example Colin Kaepernick, the quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers. Kaepernick chose to sit during the pledge of allegiance at the beginning of a football game earlier this month. Now of course that doesn’t usually happen, with that being said that doesn’t mean its is against the law to do so. People are tearing into him because he’s finally protesting by “being quiet and sitting down” which is what so many people wanted. “Stand for the flag”, “people died for your freedom”, are just some of what is being said to him. In correction the soldiers that fight for the flag and for america risk their lives so everyone in america can have a choice, freedom. Freedom to go to work or not go to work. Freedom to protest or not protest, and freedom to sit or stand, even during the national anthem. Kaepernick’s decision to sit versus standing during the national anthem reflects his and many other black people’s feelings about how America treats black people and people of color. Kaepernick expresses “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.” Regardless of how one feels about standing or sitting for the flag, Kaepernick is not “just some thug” being disobedient. He is, too many, taking a stand (pun intended) against the injustices america expresses to black lives and people of color.
Life is full of many cultures and many differences. America has twisted what is all about literally taking the “melting pot” and bleaching it to make everyone conform to one standard way. In reality America is a big beautiful quilt, made up of patchwork from many cultures. #BlackLivesMatter wants you to see their patch too. Black lives want the world to know that they matter too.
We matter too.
I matter too.
“The impulse to dream had been slowly beaten out of me by experience. Now it surged up again and I hungered for books, new ways of looking and seeing.”
Richard Wright
Black Boy
For more information about the #BlackLivesMatter Movement click the link
http://blacklivesmatter.com/about/
-E