This week, two African American men were shot and killed by law enforcement officers. In light of these events, the Black Lives Matter movement has regained the national spotlight, sparking protests across the country. This movement has also gained a great deal of traction over social media, through the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter.
As a response, another hashtag was created: #AllLivesMatter. It encompasses the feelings of those who find the Black Lives Matter movement isolating and racist. They find the term to be divisive, and attention bv seeking, because people die constantly. It seems unfair to point any particular case out. It just doesn't seem fair.
As a white person, I could not agree more. All lives DO matter. All lives DO have equal value. There is no death of innocent individuals that can be justified, regardless of race.
All of those things are true.
However, if you shout over the cries of #BlackLivesMatter with chants of #AllLivesMatter, you are missing the point. All lives cannot matter, until we prove through our actions that black lives matter.
If you are not a black American, this is not about you. This may come as a shock to you, because the amount of privilege that comes with being a white person in America is overwhelming. Everything has something to do with us. Everywhere we look, white people are represented and heard. The idea that a group of people have to shout to be heard seems insane - "thuggish" and "riotous", even. But, when it comes to the state of our nation in regards to black Americans today, that is sadly the case.
Two black men were shot at the hands of corrupt law enforcement officers, and we are having debates over just how inclusive the hashtag is. This happens so frequently, that we have become numb to just how horrific these crimes against Black Americans are. Intentionally or not, this is yet another example of white privilege at work. These were murders, two murders, at the hands of individuals that we should be able to trust with our safety. We should not be used to that. Living while black should not be a crime in this country. Something needs to change, and that is a key element of the Black Lives Matter movement.
So many demand the racial aspect be removed from the situation through the use of the All Lives Matter rhetoric, but that is simply impossible. Racial tensions are entirely entwined with the entire issue, and therefore cannot be pushed aside. At least 102 unarmed black individuals were killed by police in 2015, thirty-seven percent of the total number of unarmed individuals killed by police that year, despite African Americans making up only thirteen percent of the American population. Those are statistics that cannot be ignored. The families of these individuals deserve answers that go beyond media outlets pulling up their deceased loved one's most stereotypical "black" photo on Facebook, and labeling them a disobedient thug deserving of death. To suggest that these deaths were not racially motivated is ignorant and shortsighted, and further proof that we need to go onward in our actions to prove that Americans actually believe that black lives DO matter.
This is not a call to toss aside all other recent atrocities, such as the Orlando Nightclub Shooting. If anything, these issues are two sides of the same coin. Many of the individuals involved hail from both the LGBTQ+ community and the Black community. This is yet another example of how these movements are anything but divisive - it is a call to unity among those who are greatly affected by a nation filled with prejudice, micro-aggressions, and hatred.
Furthermore, this is not a suggestion that all police officers are responsible for the heinous acts of the minority. Rather, this is a call for a complete overhaul of the entire justice system. It is not enough to suggest that officers kind of sort of maybe wear body cameras when it is convenient for them. It is not enough to give individuals a mere slap on the wrist for use of excessive force. It is a demand that all individuals be held responsible for their actions, and a demand that no individual be above the law. Murder is murder, no matter what uniform or outfit the murderer may be wearing. Expect more of those enlisted to serve and protect the public. They hold a great responsibility and privilege, and it should be treated as such, and punished accordingly when it is abused.
In the words of Martin Luther King, Jr, "Those who are neutral in times of injustice have taken the side of the oppressor". It seems that everybody has a King quote to throw around nowadays to justify whatever rhetoric they are preaching, but I feel that his message is incredibly relevant to the individuals emphatically suggesting that All Lives Matter. It is okay that the Black Lives Matter movement does not mention you by name. If you care enough to pay attention, and truly care about all lives, and are not merely concerned with being contrarian, take a stand as a comrade to the movement. Call out slanted media outlets. Contact your local legislators. March. Use your privilege as a weapon to dismantle a corrupt system brick by brick, and as a shield for those threatened with brutality. It takes a great deal of fighting and work to be a minority in this country, and those that have the ability to help, should.
Keep fighting the good fight.
To Philando Castile and Alton Sterling, and far too many more - our hearts are with you, and your families. May you rest in power.
