With the tension of the current election, many American Citizens are questioning their own morals as well as the morality of others. What seems to be the major discussing point is racial profiling by citizens and the justice system.

People are taking a stand for the increase of deaths of African Americans by the hands of police officials. Following, that is, the mistreatment of POC in the judicial system.

Many people are asking why it's "Black lives matter" when other lives matter too?

The phrase "Black Lives Matter" is not selfish, it is not anti-white, and it is not narcissistic. #BlackLivesMatter was founded in 2012 after George Zimmerman, a white male, was found not guilty for the obvious murder of 17-year-old Treyvon Martin, an African American male. This trial brought the realization to many Americans that racism still existed, despite any change in laws or the civil rights movement to provide ALL citizens with equal opportunity and social status.

It also comes from personal experience of Black citizens who are experiencing dehumanization, making #BlackLivesMatter reach beyond the unnecessary shootings, and into the world of black discrimination.

The "Black Lives Matter" movement assures that everyone in the black community, straight, queer, trans, female, male, etc, are treated as equally and respectfully as white individuals, who are marked as having "white privilege".

The isolation of Blacks in the statement "Black Lives Matter" does not mean that other lives don't matter. It implies that the black population is being excluded from equal treatment, and before we can truly say "all lives matter" we must fix the issue of racial discrimination in America.

For those of you who aren't understanding the concept, Michael Harriot's post on The Root gives a more thorough explanation

"If the people who say "all lives matter" actually believed it, there wouldn't be a need for #BlackLivesMatter. Plus, there has never been a dispute about whether white lives matter"

Still unclear? Here's a comic that will hopefully help you understand.

As a white American female, I stand with the #BlackLivesMatter movement and hope to live to see the end of systemic racism.

If you want to learn more about the #BlackLivesMatter movement, go to www.blacklivesmatter.com