One of the most ignorant things we can do is ignore communities in our nation and world that are suffering. What seems to astonish me is that some people still do not understand the underlying reason for certain movements.

Let me break down the BLM movement for you:

Black-black

Lives-lives

Matter-matter

It’s as simple as that!

You may be thinking:

I have black friends! I’m not racist.

Just because you have black friends does not mean you understand them. It also does not mean you hear their voices. The BLM movement is the voice that cries for minorities killed and harassed for the color of their skin. If you claim they are your equal, but fight against their voice, are you really a friend?

But this movement doesn’t include me!

This movements isn’t delegitimizing the importance of other races. Lemme repeat. By delegitimizing this movement’s credibility by speaking against it, critics are delegitimizing the validity of black lives. People generally aren’t discriminated against if they are white, a man, heterosexual, or rich. This is different than getting denied by a college or job. This is getting denied the ability to live freely and without daily fear.

So you’re saying my life or even Blue Lives don’t matter?

Listen. If you have been reading this article at all, you would have an easy explanation as written out here. The BLM movement is NOT knocking down other movements. Other movements have been created to knock down the BLM movement. Also, see above comment.

The minorities are working against us! What do I do?

They are working with each other. Supporting businesses and families of their own races support their communities, giving them a chance to grow. Race shouldn’t mean that they have to lag behind others.

We are the “land of the free and home of the brave”. Of course we are all equal.

Where is justice when they are being persecuted? Why are minorities afraid, then? Why do these movements have to exist if there is no problem? Why do you say we are all equal, then protest this movement’s ideals?

Well, I don’t know what you expect me to do.

As a majority, I listen to my friends’ concerns and speak out, either on social media or in person, about the racism I continually hear about coworkers and friends.

No matter what one of my best friends has done to overcome his barriers in life, people from high school and in my family still see him as a lesser.

No matter the circumstance of death or persecution, the black lives matter movement is a movement created for equality. We are not ignoring the “all lives matter” movement. We are attempting to raise the social inequality between black lives and “all lives”.

Instead of rewriting the B behind the “black”, we need to understand that other groups are hurting. Listen, don't react. It's not choosing if lives matter; it's understanding that they do.

More resources:

http://blacklivesmatter.com/about/

https://twitter.com/Blklivesmatter?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

http://time.com/time-person-of-the-year-2015-runner-up-black-lives-matter/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/black-lives-matter/