Black Lives Matter is a powerful movement set out to make changes in the law to favour everyone. The problem is, many people feel that BLM diminishes the value of everyone else’s suffering.
- Women in business.
- Disabled.
- Police brutality.
- Terrorism.
- Parental leave.
- Increasing suicide rates amongst teenagers and middle-aged men.
- Legalisation of drugs.
- LGBT.
- Housing crisis.
- Bullying in the work-place.
- Sexual abuse.
- Abortion.
- Debt.
- Research into a new disease.
I am sure everyone is passionate about one of the above and wants change in some way. The list of topics goes on and on.
There is inequality globally. At different times, people focus on different issues. It’s undeniable.
Why I’m with BLM
I shout “Black Lives Matter” with pride and dignity. I stand for change for black people and in turn, everyone. I understand that the system has failed many in the western world for years. I can give you some statistics if you want, but just scroll down if you’re not interested:
- In the UK, “between April 2018 and March 2019, there were 4 stop and searches for every 1,000 White people, compared with 38 for every 1,000 Black people” — Gov.uk website facts and figures
- In the UK, “people living in White households were least likely to be in persistent low income.” — Gov.uk website facts and figures.
- In between 2016 and 2018, “68% of White British households owned their own homes, compared with…20% for Black African households.” — Gov.uk website facts and figures.
These are just a fraction of the real issues that black people face in the UK — this is the opportunity gap, and the meaning of “white privilege”. It’s real, the numbers are there. But I can’t convince everyone to believe this.
So, if you’re not “for” BLM?
It boils down to 3 reasons:
1. You’re outright racist.
Nothing more needs to be said.
2. You’re being mistaken for an ignorant bigot because you complain more about the negative impact the protests are having than the cause for BLM itself.
In this case, I ask that you look at all your public social media posts and be loud about all aspects. Instead of saying
“Being killed by police is horrible but for god’s sake, stop destroying historical monuments!!”,
say “Destroying historical monuments is horrible but for god’s sake, policemen, stop killing people!!”
3. You claim (deliberately or not) that your story matters too. And here lies the problem.
The idea that BLM undervalues your pain and takes away your calls for change.
If you win, I lose.
Photo by Amanda Jones on Unsplash
This is the system we have all been born into.
A hustle.
It’s the notion that giving something away means you no longer have it. Even in my last sentence, the language I use implies losing ownership of something by giving somebody else “It”.
Ownership is ingrained in society and language. “My” husband, “your” house, “their” ball. It’s no wonder we think of equality as something that we own. If I own my husband, nobody else does. If you own your house, nobody else does. Their ball is theirs.
And that’s the secret. Equality is not an object to own.
Equality is a lifestyle.
There is an abundance of it because humans made its concept.
Photo by Micheile Henderson on Unsplash
How will you not lose anything by giving black people what you already have? Let’s massively summarise the demands:
1. The right to live.
You won’t die when black people stop dying from police brutality.
2. The right to equal academic and professional opportunities.
You’ll still need to work hard in school and be knowledgeable in the position you want to work in.
3. Fair representation in the system.
If black people are not mistakenly going to prison it doesn’t mean you will be.
If black people are buying houses in nice areas it doesn’t mean you won’t be.
If black people earn lots of money it doesn’t suddenly mean you cannot.
Be behind BLM because you want equality about anything, period.
Let BLM be the symbol of all equality.
Remember there is an abundance of equality, since we made its concept.
It is the system that has to change. It is the weak spots in the system that need reinforcing. For that to happen, the entire world needs to get on the same side.
Love yourself
If you have suffered, I’m sorry. Your life has meaning too. I hear your pain. Nobody was denying your hardship. But you don’t want others to go through what you did or worse, right?
Just try for one day to do things out of love rather than anger, and feel the love coming back to you. Not just for BLM, but for people. Love people.
“Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.” – Dr. Martin Luther King
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This post was previously published on Equality Includes You and is republished here with permission from the author.
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Photo credit: Unsplash
Preserving a shared culture is much more important than comparing all cultures and then being forced to say all are equal. Coexistence without separation is a farce.