In my last blog I discussed some pressing issues going on in
America right now, including ‘Black Lives Matter’ and police brutality. I
mentioned that I agreed that black lives matter, but so do all lives. I think I
was missing the point of what ‘Black Lives Matter’ is all about. An article I
read this past week by John Halstead, The
Real Reason White People Say ‘All Lives Matter,’ put things into
perspective for me. He makes many great points on why whites should not have a
problem with people saying ‘Black Lives Matter.’
1. Blacks saying their lives matter in no way
suggests white lives do not.
2. ‘All Lives Matter’ draws attention away from the
real problem, and instead focuses on whites.
3. It is not really necessary to clarify that all
lives matter, because whites aren’t undergoing discrimination. On the other
hand, blacks face discrimination frequently, which is why BLM is necessary.
A lot
of times whites may think racism does not affect themselves. It does, however, and Halstead
also offers great suggestions on what we can do.
1. Accept the fact that it is impossible to be
colorblind, as hard as we may try.
2. Immerse yourself in Black communities to become
more comfortable with Blacks. Learn from them.
3. Say “Black lives matter,” rather than “All lives
matter.”
4. Be a part of the Second Civil Rights Movement.
This will probably be uncomfortable, but it is necessary to step out of your
comfort zone in order to make a difference.
It is disrespectful to undermine the struggles blacks go
through daily. By saying ‘Black Lives Matter’ we can offer our support.
I encourage you all to read the article, which explains this
topic way better than I ever could.
I really enjoyed how you were able to connect an article read outside of class into your blog so we could see it and read it ourselves to understand your opinions in a better way. well done!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed being able to see how your opinion clarified and changed as you learned more about the issue!
ReplyDeleteI think it's awesome how you showed a shift in your views of an issue as you read up more on it and kept an open mine. Awesome job!
ReplyDeleteThis post is extremely accurate, in my opinion. I'm glad you decided to share because I found the article you referenced to be really interesting. Wonderful blog!
ReplyDeleteI think it is really good of you to step out of your own comfort zone and correct yourself. That was a very mature thing to do and I have a lot of respect for that.
ReplyDelete