Black Lives Matter Vs all Lives Matter

On February 2012, a white police officer fatally shot Trayvon Martin. The officer was found not guilty in July 2013 following the claims of self-defense. Subsequent to this acquisition, a movement by three black coordinators termed Black Lives Matter was created and spread through the #blacklivesmatter hashtag. The campaign had no official leader or a rule sheet; it was an officially formed term meant to pass a message that black people should be valued as human beings. Khan-Cullors observes that in a society where blacks are intentionally and systematically targeted for death, it asserts black people’s humanity, our input to this community and our resilience at the sight of fatal oppression. Nevertheless, this movement has caused a lot of arguments, resulting in another trending hashtag named #alllivesmatter. The new hashtag criticizes the Black Lives Matter slogan by arguing that all individuals are sisters and brothers and that the movement’s argument is narrow. Is the new hashtag right? Eventually, is it not suitable for everyone to be valued the same way? Not unless there is something else contained in the Black Lives Matter slogan apart from them supporting their own.

The notion that America has no racism is not the subject of debate, yet individuals believe that racism could end with the end of Jim Crow laws. Has racism ended? If it has, why do frequent killings by the police attribute a greater prevalence of blacks than whites? 38.5% of the total population comprises people of color, while 51.5% of the entire lives lost between 2015 and 2016 belong to this population (Fox, 2018). Police brutality hugely affects black people, Hispanics, and individuals with Native American backgrounds. Yet, we seem to have ended racism; are these killings coincidental? We may argue that, after all, we chose a black president, which justifies that we are a post-racial United States. A post-racial United States where all lives ought to matter, apart from the black lives and other minorities being shot by the police. According to Bill Maher, the All Lives Matter slogan argues that all lives are in danger while, in the real sense, they are not. By claiming that all lives matter, we are simply trying to nullify the persistent reality of the existence of white supremacy. The proponents of the All Lives Matter slogan are focused on silencing the efforts of individuals committed to bringing change and exposing the unjust holding back racial equality.

All Lives Matter slogan represents colorblindness and asserts that everyone is equal; hence, every individual’s life should matter. Richard Sherman, an American footballer, affirms that all lives matter and that we are all human beings. In 2017, 987 people were shot and killed by the police. White males persisted being the highest group of individuals killed while having guns or knives and amounted to three hundred and thirty individuals. Black males were fatally killed while armed with knives or guns in the last year in about one hundred and sixty cases (Sullivan, Anthony, Tate, & Jenkins, 2018). These statistics show that white men were killed more than black males, all lives should matter, and all individuals should focus on advocating for all lives being terminated by police violence. When asked what movement captured their views, seventy eight American voters claimed that all lives matter (Rasmussen 2015). Proponents of the all live matter slogan claim they are fighting for everyone and are not guilty of anything. They firmly believe that humans are brothers and sisters and deserve equal treatment, as no race is superior to another.

For over four centuries, the black community has experienced unimaginable hardships, such as slavery, civil rights and the prevailing discrimination they face today. Black Lives Matter is a way for them to show solidarity. All Lives Matter is undeniably racist. The Black Lives Matter movement’s intention was not to imply that only the lives of black people are meaningful, nor was it to advocate for hatred towards the white living. The movement voiced the reality that white people have many privileges, to the extent that they are less or not worried if someone is aiming at their back. It is more about realizing that in as much as our lives count, other lives currently matter to a greater extent. The statement is an acknowledgement that there are lives that have been in constant hardship and require assistance from those with privilege. By advocating for all lives matter, the cry for help is being erased and assuming nothing is wrong. The Black Lives Matter statement acknowledges that white lives have always mattered and that black lives should matter too.

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