Usually I would start these type of articles saying, “in light of recent events”. However, the oppression of PoC (people of color), especially African Americans, has existed for centuries. There is no recent, and there is no ‘light’ talking about this subject.
There is a cycle of perpetuating violence that has spiraled out of control recently and the massive influx of wrongly informed media has depicted these events in false limelight. According to a project done by the Guardian, Alton Sterling and Philando Castile are just two of at least 136 African Americans who have been killed by the police this year (2016).
If you are a user of Twitter (or any other social media for that matter), or are following up on the Twitter quarrel that has come up on this subject, you may know about the movement Black Lives Matter (BLM for short). Thousands upon thousands of people are fighting for their rights through this movement—yet, it seems that many people who argue against this movement and are negative towards it do not understand its meaning and who it truly is.
The BLM movement is, and never has been an anti-white movement. It’s a shame that if someone were to be pro-something, it automatically turns them into an anti-another. The BLM campaign is simply pushing for equality. It’s not something that should be debated. It’s a matter of having everyone, no matter their race, religion, and gender (and other such factors) be equal. BLM, under my understanding, does not and should never condone the use of violence in order to achieve their goals.
There has also been this incredibly questionable and somehow… idiotic movement that has risen in order to combat BLM: ALM (All Lives Matter). Although this campaign sounds benign enough, it is actually used by a number of racist and ignorant group of people who are trying to undermine the use and value of the African American people.
Yes, All Lives Matter. Everyone matters, and it’s natural to put value on a human life. However, black lives have mattered since the beginning. They are still put on the lowest pedestal in humanity and are devalued as close to animals. Right now, fighting for the rights of African Americans is important. The modern world has severely desensitized the people who used to believe in this importance.
I recently scrolled through the abundance of tweets that have surfaced in this conflict, and I noticed screenshots of a tweet that really should never been made in the first place. Joe Walsh, an ex member of Illinois’ 8th congressional district, called BLM people, ‘punks’, a ghastly use of a negative connotation to put a ‘bad-guy’ image on the movement. He also said, “Watch out Obama, Real America is coming for you’. Many responses to this now taken down tweet have been immense and people are shocked that a former government official would say these words.
I mourn the loss of the Dallas shooting. Being for the BLM movement does not stop me, or anyone else part of it, from being human and praying for the families who have been affected by this tragedy. However, people call this shooting as a war against whites. This confuses me and a number of others. African Americans, for centuries, have been dehumanized, [note: they weren’t even considered as an actual person during the reign of the 3/5th Compromise in 1787 and Civil War Era] oppressed, and enslaved. Even through all of this, I’ve seen a mass amount of BLM supporters send their thoughts and prayers to the Dallas Shooting victims. Again, the idea of the BLM movement is to not exacerbate violence. This fact is one of the cores of the movement.
BLM and Dallas Rally Band Together
Even though it is obvious that this movement cannot produce all the change in the world now, I have yet to see any government action that has tried to change the lives of the people involved. All I have seen is Barack Obama pushing for change (even as he slowly inches his way away from the Oval Office and prepares for the next POTUS). Bernie Sanders has also made his stance known, pushing for the rights of minorities. I almost find myself laughing at the two other Presidential nominees, and also the forerunners of the Presidential Elections. During this time of need, their tweets are aggravating, their help and words discomforting.
In the past, the Brown Berets, Black Panthers, and Yellow Peril have joined forces to tackle the oppression of minorities. Even now, Asian Americans, Latinos/Latinas, and other cultures have banned together and supported Black Lives as they always have. It’s a shame that it takes all of the minorities together to have the BLM movement noticed.
I wish there to be change right now. The violence and protests have stretched all over the United States. I’ve also read recently that it has become that, ‘cities are now more recognized by the terrors of their streets rather than the importance of their geographical importance’. Oakland has become a place feared by everyone who does not live there—strange since I, and a number of other people living in the Bay Area had always seen it as a place to go to when you wanted to see bands perform at Fox Theatre on Telegraph Avenue.
"From Ferguson to Oakland"
It is hard to enact change when violence is so pertinent today, but a great way to start is to be self-informed. Learning more about a certain event or issue instead of being persuaded by the words of someone who doesn’t know any better is important. Doing self-research and understanding both sides of a situation necessary, but it is also crucial to understand your own thoughts and not be compelled to be pro-something just because someone you look up to or a friend is for it.
Everyone is human, and the rights for the people are aren’t treated like one are the most imperative goal to achieve. Simply put, the BLM movement isn’t an anti-white movement. It’s a movement for change, for equality, for equal standing/pay, and a call to stop the violence and killing. Black lives have mattered, and always will until something is done otherwise.
"Instead of feeling protected by police, many African Americans are intimidated and live in daily fear that their children will face abuse, arrest and death at the hands of police officers who may be acting on implicit biases or institutional policies based on stereotypes and assumptions of black criminality.” -Sociologists for Justice
