It's strange how a simple and truthful sentence can cause so much controversy. And on top of that, it's not even the sentiment that is debated. As far as I have seen, no one is going around arguing that black lives don't matter, we're pretty much in agreement that they do, at least vocally.
The issue people have seems to be the focus and exclusivity of the statement. We are only talking about black lives and that's what bugs everyone. But that's also why it needs to be said, over and over again. If we are not comfortable standing up for black lives when they are not tied to our own, we are failing our black brothers and sisters.
(I know many people have issues with the #BlackLivesMatter movement because of it's leadership and the way it's being run. I would refer you to this post that I wrote about 6 months ago. Movements are inherently flawed because as humans we are as well. That is not an excuse to sit out.)
It's funny though, how the same people who have such a problem with "black lives matter" seem to have no issue spouting off about #BlueLivesMatter in support of the police force. I've seen it stated several times, though I cannot find the original source, that if you have a problem with #BlackLivesMatter but you are fine with #BlueLivesMatter, than "the operative word is black." The word "black" is what makes you uncomfortable. At the end of the day, both of these statements are true, but replacing the word black with "blue" or "all" draws attention away from the initial issue, that black lives are profiled and targeted.
I was once talking to a friend from high school about growing up black. She told me about how her father would talk to her younger brother at an early age about how if he was ever pulled over or approached by the police that he must do exactly what the officer tells him to do, even if it is unlawful or infringes upon his rights, because it might just be the difference between life and death. I remember being astounded by this, knowing that it is not something anyone had or would ever teach me. Because as a white girl, this was not something I would ever have to worry about. But it is a reality for young black boys. One small move of their hand could end their life. And that is why #BlackLivesMatter is so important.
So why, as white individuals, are we so insistent on making sure that we are not left out of focus? The reason some of us are so insistent that we talk about "all" lives mattering is because we feel like the exclamation that black lives matter somehow means that white lives do not. We want to be included because acknowledging that black lives matter separate from our own takes us away from the privilege that provides us with so much comfort. But here's the thing. Whether or not a white life matters has never been a discussion. White lives have been held consistently more valuable than others. Just ask Christopher Columbus about that one.
But I think part of this need for inclusion stems from the popular white stance of skin colorblindness. If we ignore race, we can't be racist. And this way, we continue to stay in a place of privilege without directly acknowledging it. However, colorblindness disregards the beauty that can be experienced through exploration of other cultures and their backgrounds. Colorblindness isn't a solution to racism. In some ways, even, it plays into racism and the quieting of other views and perspectives on life.
But then I got to wondering what people's stance was on their own racism. So I took to twitter, a very unbiased and empirical source, to see what people think. I posed the question of whether or not poll-takers think that they can be racist sometimes. I provided the following options with the following results.
Fortunately it seems most of my followers, plus those directed to the poll from Facebook, seem to take the productive stance of recognizing their own racism and the need for progression. What really struck me though, was the percentage of people who responded that they identify as racist, yet make no claim to be trying to improve on that fault. And no you cannot argue that it is not a fault without being incredibly offense so please don't try. But this essentially means, assuming these results are unbiased and representative (which they probably aren't), that one in every 10 people you meet is racist, knows they are, and has no desire to do anything about it. That's honestly terrifying. And that's not even noting the 5% that responded that deny that racism exists at all.
We live in a world built of hierarchies. Society directs us to look at the people around us and rank ourselves against them. One point if your white, another if your male, and even another if you're wealthy. Oh, you're gay? We have to take two of those points away now. But the fact that we still allow this to happen, even in our own minds is an indicator of how much more work we have to do to find equity and equality. We must transform our own views in order to change the system and it requires a deep personal effort. We must recognize privilege in ourselves and use it to level the playing field. Another groups societal advancement does not mean the regression of our own.
The Declaration of Independence states that "we hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal," that we are "endowed by [our] Creator with certain unalienable Rights, . . . Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." Unalienable: unable to be taken or given away. So why are we allowing them to be taken away from others? Why do we often give them away ourselves?
I think that as a nation we have lost sight of this original and powerful purpose, to provide individuals with those three things. We have the right to life, to breathe steadily and exist equally. To interact with law enforcement without the fear of fatal judgment. We have the right to liberty, to be free from oppressive leadership. To grow and advance ourselves, unhindered by the societal view of our biology. We have a right to the pursuit of happiness, a right to laugh, smile, and feel safe in our own skin. We are failing to provide that for everyone. And for that we should be ashamed.
