Back in 2013, the world closely watched the State of Florida versus George Zimmerman case, a trial that ultimately resulted in Zimmerman’s acquittal for the murder of 17-year-old African American teen Trayvon Martin. Beginning as a trending hashtag in response to the unjust lawsuit, Black Lives Matter snowballed into a fully-fledged activist movement and, since then, has not gone unnoticed in the media for its efforts to combat police brutality against blacks and the prominent issue of racial inequality within the criminal justice system.
In 2015 alone, according to the research collaborative Mapping Police Violence, United States police officers killed over 100 unarmed black men and women, a product of racial profiling, discrimination and detestation. In addition to this, nearly 40 percent of unarmed people killed by police officers were black, though the demographic only makes up approximately 13 percent of the U.S. population.
Despite its genuine message, the Black Lives Matter movement has received incredible backlash, with some perceiving it as an attack on the U.S. police force, or a diminishment of the importance of other races. It’s important to note, however, that there is not an implied “only” preceding Black Lives Matter.
Instead, white supremacists and racists across the country have used its title to cunningly discredit the movement and deem it inequitable, a tactic to conceal their distaste and discomfort in response to a renowned effort in the fight toward racial equality. Thus, the All Lives Matter movement was birthed with racism at its roots.
Yes, all lives should matter. Nevertheless, it is fundamentally wrong to assume that all lives have endured the persistent dehumanization and marginalization that African Americans have experienced throughout the course of U.S. history. Beginning in the colony of Jamestown, Virginia in 1619, African Americans were legally deemed property, despite their moving limbs and beating hearts. In 1787, African Americans were reckoned three-fifths of a person. In 1896, legal doctrine claimed that African Americans were equal, but should be separate.
Today, African Americans are considered equals under statute. We are decades removed from segregation, yet blacks are still discriminated against by a hatred entrenched so deeply in our society and legal system that it would be wrong to presume that we are close to equality. On the other hand, the value of white lives has never once been in question or disparaged in history.
Other jabs at the Black Lives Matter movement have included a total repudiation of police brutality against blacks as a pressing or recurring issue. Using statistics to demean the issue, some All Lives Matter supporters bring up the fact that most black homicide victims are killed by other blacks. This, however, does not mean we ought to overlook the reality that there are perpetrators in existence that are killing blacks, based solely on the color of their skin and getting away with it. This, again, is another attempt to overshadow the issue with malevolent non-sequiturs.
Despite modern-day efforts by white supremacists to camouflage their racism into a discreet, seemingly gallant All Lives Matter stunt, don’t be fooled. You won’t find them trying to patch up the world and equalize anything, especially if it pertains to accommodating minorities in this country. Egalitarian movements of any kind should not be belittled due to the specificity of their efforts.
After all, if Black Lives Matter did not exist, who would be drawing the necessary attention to the injustices faced by African Americans in modern-day America? In other words, the Black Lives Matter movement should be championed, all lives should matter and we ought to be heedful of inequality and the abiding presence of racialism in the 21st century, especially during a time where there is a significant emphasis placed on closeting racism and xenophobia.
Sophia San Filippo is a junior majoring in English.