Trayvon Martin. Michael Brown. Sandra Bland. Tamir Rice. Eric Harris. Walter Scott. Philandro Castile. Jonathan Ferrell. Alton Sterling.
Black lives matter. Police brutality is real.
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I'm sure you have heard every analogy at this point. Just because World Wildlife Fund's mission is to protect pandas does not insinuate them saying "forget the monkeys." Just because a rescue shelter is dedicated to saving innocent dogs who have been abused does not mean they hate every other animal. If my house is going up in flames and I call firefighters to the rescue, then no sane person would come to me while I'm drowning in my despair and tell me, "I know your house is burning. But my house matters. All houses matter." It's the same logic. Just because I say black lives matter does not mean I hate white people. It does not mean that I am placing a greater value on my life than any other life. What it actually means is that in our country, the one that pledges "liberty and justice for all" does not actually grant "liberty and justice for all." What it actually means is that there are certain individuals, people of great power, who have stripped away this promised liberty from others who were kissed by the sun just a little more, with absolutely no legitimate reason.
Black lives matter. White lives matter. Blue lives matter. All lives matter. But wait, if all lives matter, then does "black" not fall under the category of "all?" And if that's the case, why is it that whenever I exclaim that black lives matter, it's almost immediately followed by the rebuttal "all lives matter." Of course all lives matter. Not once did I say that all lives did notmatter. Not once did I say that black lives are the only onesthat matter. All lives do matter. But in this moment in time, all lives are not fearful of their lives every time they step out onto the street. Not all lives are continually profiled against and are experiencing the bluntness of police brutality. So, understand that when you say all lives matter, you are not being fair. You are not being inclusive. What you are actually doing is distracting from the issue at hand. You say all lives matter, but we live in a country where in actuality, your life and your voice only matters if you are not a person of color. Systemic racism is real and white privilege persists. If you honestly do not believe that, then I truly don't know what to say to you.
I have a little brother whom I love more than anybody else on this planet. This kid has the biggest heart I've ever come across. Once when he was younger, I walked into his room to find his eyes reflecting nothing but sorrow in its most genuine form. When I inquired why he was crying, he responded, "Because Mommy is sad." Let's fast forward a couple of years. He is 12-years-old now. He's about a foot taller; his voice booms of a loud confidence and a growing maturity. Through all of these changes though, two qualities remain the same: his genuine heart and his skin color. When I look at him, I see his heart. The people who know and love him, when they look at him, they see his heart. That should be enough to get him through life, right? So, why is it that every time he leaves the house, I say a little prayer that he comes back home, alive and safe? A normal thought should be, "I hope he has fun with his friends," or, "I hope he doesn't come home with a bruised knee," not, "I hope I don't find his body on the street." I'm only his sister and I'm so hopelessly terrified for his life. Can you only imagine how my mother, his mother, must be feeling? And please, don't tell me it's paranoia because I can promise you, this is a thought that has crossed the mind of every woman of color who has children. Don't tell me that there's in fact nothing to worry about because he's so young. Tell that to the mother of Tamir Rice. Tell that to the mother of a young boy whose life was seized by an individual who swore to protect and serve those around him. You can try to justify these actions by criminalizing these black beings all you want, but I dare you to try to criminalize this twelve-year-old boy.
But go ahead. Pull up the statistics. Tell me how these people of color "have it coming because they didn't listen to authority." When did the sentencing for "disrespect" become immediate death? Try and justify your case by telling me that "cops kill more white people than black people." Tell me about the tragic, horrendous death of Dylan Noble and how it proves that black lives are not the only ones in danger. Say it proudly. Now, think about what you just said. Are you seriously celebrating the fact that cops kill more white people than black people in your attempt to nullify my statement? Really? Because in your attempt to invalidate the black lives matter movement, you have just admitted that we in fact do have a problem with police brutality. Notice I said police brutality. I don't believe that cops as a whole are the problem and that infuriates me even more. I know that the majority of law enforcement officers have intentions that are nothing short of pure and because of these recent events, they too are worried for their lives. This is not a fear I would wish on anyone. However, it's not enough for the majority of police officers to be good. Just because you have enough good friends in your life does not mean you should keep the bad ones in the bunch. Being a police officer is not just another job; it is one of high regard as these individuals have chosento dedicate their lives to protecting others. So, when there are human lives involved, it is not good enough for the majority of cops to be good. If you go to a hair dresser and they fail to do their job, then you can simply decide to no longer give them your service. Your hair will grow back. However, if a cop fails to do his job and it ends with a body six feet below the ground, then what?
The fight for freedom is never ending. Slavery in this country may have ended 150 years ago, but we are still not free. We are still chained by prejudice and the perpetual fear of death stained by hatred of the color of of skin. To you, it may seem as a trivial hashtag, but if you fail to understand the reasoning behind this hash tag, then you are contributing to the problem. If you fail to understand the mentality behind the hashtag, then you are blinding yourself to the privilege this country endows on those who are white. You are blinding yourself to the core liberties that are promised to every American, but are somehow denied to the people who were once regarded as property by this country.
I'm not asking you to hate the color of your skin. I know you did not come out of your womb, checking "white" on your tax forms. I'm not even asking you to be ashamed of the color of your skin. After all, how ridiculous of it would it be for me to want you to feel remorseful about the color of your skin? All that I'm asking is that you open your eyes to the root of the problem. I'm asking that you stop clinging so desperately to your warped embodiment of an America that is colorblind and impartial when that is far from its truth. I'm asking that you wake up to the horrors of this world because every time you hit that snooze button, every time you decide to apathetically look away, another life is lost. How is that people of such authority can commit acts like these without being being indicted? These cops are allowed to walk free while the bodies of their blameless victims remain trapped in the depths of the Earth. So, excuse me if I don't care about the fact that he lost his job. I don't care about the fact that he "will now forever live with what he has done." That's just not good enough. I want liberty and justice for all.
So, stop seeing it as just a hashtag. See the underlying message behind the hashtag. See the blood shed as a direct result of people of authority abusing their power. Hear our desperate cries that are screaming "enough is enough." Speak out. Hashtagging about it, sharing numerous Facebook posts about it will mean nothing if you simply stay silent in situations that demand you to act. As a black woman, I can yell, "Black lives matter!" and I can promise you, more than half the people who hear me will not listen. They'll simply roll their eyes in indifference and move on with their lives. However, just because others may see me as the boy who cried wolf is not going to silence my voice. Too many people gave their lives for my voice to ever be silenced. As a non-person of color in this nation, your voice matters more and unfortunately, that's just the bleak reality of the situation. So, I ask you, put that voice into action. If you truly believe that all lives matter, then speak up against the injustice faced by so many individuals, day by day, in this nation. Saying all lives matter is not sufficient because if all lives did matter, we wouldn't need to say, "Black lives matter." The minute you speak up, the minute you intercede in these situations, the minute you act, that's when all lives will truly matter.
"If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor." -- Desmond Tutu
