On Wednesday July 13, 2016 I had my first experience with the Black Lives Matter movement.

My boyfriend and a friend of ours organized a small gathering in downtown Columbus, Georgia, to support the cause. We knew that the movement had a bad reputation due to a few cases where groups of people who identified with the movement became violent and acted in an uncivilized manner. However, these people do not represent Black Lives Matter as a whole.

The goal of Black Lives Matter is not to create more division. Our personal goal for organizing this particular movement was to bring people together from all walks of life to support our brothers and sisters in Christ regardless of skin color.

Knowing that not everyone agreed with what we were doing, we prepared ourselves for the negativity and problems we might face. We expected to be cussed at and disrespected, but the complete opposite happened. The result was greater than we ever could have imagined.

That day, people of different races and backgrounds came together to stand up for what is right and make a difference. About 15 of us, most of which had never met before, gathered in a parking garage to make signs that read, "Love the skin you are in," "I am not my skin, I am the soul that lives within," and, "Where is the love?" There was an immediate connection between all of us. We all shared the same end goal. None of us were there to start trouble or be disruptive. We wanted to stand up for what we believe in and feel like we had a voice.

We didn't block roadways or chant, and we didn't carry vulgar or obscene signs. We sat on a bridge at a busy intersection and let our signs speak for us. The response we received was overwhelmingly positive. People came up to shake our hands and show support. An officer even drove by to check on us and show support. That alone was an incredibly special moment for all of us. It became increasingly obvious as the day went on that we were making a positive impact.

I say all of this to say, do not condemn the Black Lives Matter movement as a whole based off of the actions of a few. The large majority of the people who support this movement have the best intentions and are fighting for unity. We do not condone violence or hate. We want to be judged by character, not color. We hope and pray that one day, love will prevail.