Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Black Lives Matter/All Lives Matter

When someone says that Black Lives Matter, the correct response is not All Lives Matter. Yes, of course, All Lives Matter. Black Lives Matter is a movement that was created in 2012 after the murder of Trayvon Martin. "Black Lives Matter is working for a world where Black lives are no longer systematically and intentionally targeted for demise." Patrisse Cullors, Opal Tometi, and Alicia Garza founded this organization with passion for Black Lives, and intend to "build connections between Black people and ... allies to fight anti-Black racism, to spark dialogue among Black people, and to facilitate the types of connections necessary to encourage social action and engagement." (blacklivesmatter.com).

After the murder of Alton Sterling, I attended a rally here in Rochester, New York. The Democrat & Chronicle estimated our number at 400, and 74 of us were arrested. In Atlanta, there was an estimated 10,000 protesters and only 2 were arrested. A lot of people connected to me, and some quite close to my heart, have given me a lot of harsh criticism for my involvement in the movement. I have even had family members tell me I was, "acting black", that I "should be proud to be a 'white girl'", and that rallies will not solve anything.

I explained to one of my young family members why I wrote my latest piece "Not Me" in which I state, "I am NOT a white girl!" I explained to her that had Rosa Parks not sat in the front of that bus, it may still be illegal for black people to sit anywhere other than the back of the bus. I explained to her that Dr. King was arrested for civil disobedience more than twice and rallies do have the power to draw attention and change things. I explained that while the paper said we threw rocks at the police, we did no such thing. I explained that we were sitting on our behinds eating pizza when the police came in riot gear.

In my opinion, if Black Lives Mattered and our voices had a right to be heard, a liaison from the City would have come out to speak to us rather than sending over 100 officers in riot gear to clear the street in military formation. I feel many actions have both positive and negative ramifications, and I understand that knowledge is the key element missing here.

There are problems on every front, but the main point that needs to be heard and digested is that those of us who are fighting for equality are not going to stop fighting until all lives are treated equally in this country. I stand for what I believe in and I am sure along the way, I will learn, augment and grow with every new obstacle, every new truth I encounter.

Rallies are by no means the only action I am taking either. We must be reading, listening, learning, remain active in our communities.

The system is corrupt, and we cannot change what we do not discuss. There are officers who fight for right and put their lives on the line for us every day. There are also racist cops who hunt down and murder Black people. There are good and bad people in every segregated category. I may not get to see the Promised Land, but I fight for a day when sexual preference, religious affiliation, ethnic background, income level, education level, no longer keep us in segregated categories. We are one human race. I have friends from every type of classification. I judge people by their integrity, work ethic, honesty, loyalty, thirst for knowledge, etc. "You may call me a dreamer, but I am not the only one"... (John Lennon)

So for all of you arguing with one another, judging one another, can we try something new? Can we listen, learn, and grow together. The powers that be love to keep us separated, keep us segregate from one another. Imagine the world of possibility if we unified forces. We all have good and bad qualities within us. We all have joy and pain. We all have dreams and fears. This country has good and bad qualities too. However, you cannot sit back blind and idle pretending that everything is all right while people are being targeted and murdered, and the media lies to cover up what is actually going on. This is the country we were born in, that we live in, and we have a right to democratically mold it into the country of our dreams. You can stare at a screen till the day you die and do nothing with your life, but if that is your choice, please stop complaining about what is going on around you. Please stop judging those that are standing up for what they believe in.

Would it kill you just once to say, "Black Lives Matter"...can we not work together to realize a day in this country when All Lives really do Matter! They should. And if I have anything to do with it, they will!

Be the best you, you can possibly be. Stand up for what you believe. Unify, and rise. It is our time to shine.