There is no doubt about racism having been a topic in America for a very long time. After having slavery for over 250 years, legal segregation for 99 years and lynchings up until 1981, we now have approximately 250 fatal shootings of black people per year by law enforcement alone.

The killings aren’t new. The cameras are. We have so many deaths documented in recordings roaming around the internet, now that we have reached the 21st century. Almost every week, there is another video going around Facebook showing yet another police murder of an unarmed black man. Just this year, we lost Philando Castile, Terence Crutcher and Alton Sterling along with nearly 200 others. And here we are; another civil rights movement in the year of 2016.

Black Lives Matter! We’ve seen it everywhere: on social media, on signs, shirts, Facebook statuses, newspapers to name just a few. And for some reason, this three-word statement simply stating that black people are worthy, has caused many to feel offended. In response to the Black Lives Matter movement, we have seen the White Lives Matter, the Blue Lives Matter and most prominently the All Lives Matter movement.

For some reason, we see ‘Black Lives Matter’, and read ‘Only Black Lives Matter’. And because that’s how we read it, we assume that’s how it was meant. Interestingly, we never heard All Lives Matter before we heard Black Lives Matter, nor have we ever heard All Lives Matter in response to Blue Lives or White Lives Matter. Why is that?

Now, the fact that black lives matter doesn’t mean that other lives don’t, just like loving oranges doesn’t mean you hate apples. You can love oranges and love apples at the same time. You can actually love all kinds of fruit and saying that you love oranges doesn’t invalidate this truth. If three friends - let’s name them Jack, Joe and Chris - were to go on a hike and they took water breaks once every hour, and at every break, Jack and Joe consumed all the water supply… Well, Chris would eventually mention that he needs water. Suppose Jack and Joe’s response was simply “we all need water”, with no further action. While it is true that all three of them need water, Jack and Joe already have water, so it’s completely irrelevant to state that all need water. If Jack and Joe truly believed that all need water, they would’ve immediately given Chris water and apologized for not realizing they hadn’t given him any.

Let's consider this. You don’t show up to a cancer fundraiser with a flu awareness sign. You also wouldn’t assume that the fundraiser suggests that other illnesses are not important or shouldn’t be addressed. When a child comes running to you crying, because of a broken arm, your first statement wouldn’t be “well, this guy over here just got a paper cut”. It’s irrelevant to the situation and doesn’t help the child. The child simply feels like you didn’t hear the statement. Rather, you just completely ignored and diminished their cry for help.

Of course all lives matter. Hence the necessity for the Black Lives Matter movement. Unfortunately, at this point in time, our judicial system does not function on a basis of all lives being equal. We had Brock Turner and Cory Batey convicted of the same crime, but receiving a 6 month versus a 15-year sentence. Studies by “The Guardian” have shown that in the US, black people get shot two and half times as much as white people. Specifically, black men are nine times more likely to be killed by the police than anyone else in America. Based on a recent study from the Corporation for Enterprise Development and Institute for Policy Studies, it will take 228 years for the average black family to attain the same amount of wealth as the average white family has today. About 40% of US prisons are populated by black men, even though they only make up about 6% of our nationwide population. Statistically, one in three black men born today will spend a portion of their lifetime in prison. So on a broad scale, we’ve seen that black people are much more likely to be arrested, convicted and incarcerated than white people, even when they are guilty of the same crimes or not guilty at all. We must face reality; we do not live in a fair America.

What is our solution? The next time you see a Black Lives Matter sign, read just those three words. Don’t add your own interpretation, feelings or agendas to it. If you absolutely cannot help but add something to it, add a “too” after the Black Lives Matter. If you agree that black lives do matter, think about why this person feels the need to express it. If you don’t know, ask them; and simply listen. Help their voice be heard. Support them. Because in the end, we will only see change in this country, if not only the wounded see the pain. Take responsibility, because as a wise Elie Wiesel once said: “We must take sides. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”