I will start this article by stating that this is only my opinion on the matter and to acknowledge that there are many more opinions that deserve to be heard. I would also like to state that this is just the beginning, and many more conversations need to be had.
Truly I believe that “all lives matter," yes, everyone deserves to live and not die at the hands of the police. However, right now, black lives are being targeted, and the numbers are astonishing.
I can connect a lot with Hispanic/Latinx culture as I was raised speaking Spanish to a mixed race mother as well as attending school where most people came from Hispanic backgrounds. So when I am engaging in conversation about #blacklivesmatter, it is clear to me that this minority is also under attack. Because I feel such a connection with the Latinx race, I feel that it is pertinent for me to point out that they also have a target on their backs.
This is where things can get controversial. I believe that #blacklivesmatter should be supported by Latinx communities because of how closely-related I see the cultures. I think that #Latinxlivesmatter should be combined into #blacklivesmatter, in a sense. There is a whole community of Latinx that is not claimed as much because of the color of their skin. Afro-latinx communities are constantly ignored and go unclaimed when the term “Latinx” comes to mind. I understand what I am asking here. I am asking Latinx communities to give complete support to #blacklivesmatter. I ask this, so that Latinx communities can see the platform that #blacklivesmatter provides for police brutality. Basically, I am asking that Latinx communities do not focus on the label, but on the issue. Black, brown, orange, yellow, purple, what is going on is wrong. And it is happening to both Latinx and Black communities.
Right now, the #blacklivesmatter movement needs all of the support it can get. In supporting this movement, one supports justice. One supports the idea that skin color can determine one’s fate when coming into contact with the police. But I believe that this movement has the potential to connect members of both races and other minority groups. I believe that this movement gives minorities the opportunity to see just how closely related our struggles are, and to talk about how we can change that. Change is coming, and the #blacklivesmatter movement is at the forefront of that change.
