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Dear White People: This is Why Black Lives Matter

It’s midnight and I’m in the middle of finishing up a lighthearted post for tomorrow. A travel piece that will now have to wait because there’s something else I’ve really gotta say. A few minutes ago, my boyfriend burst through the door from his baseball game and asked, “Have you been following what’s going on […]

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It’s midnight and I’m in the middle of finishing up a lighthearted post for tomorrow. A travel piece that will now have to wait because there’s something else I’ve really gotta say.

A few minutes ago, my boyfriend burst through the door from his baseball game and asked, “Have you been following what’s going on in Dallas??” I checked my Twitter feed, only to find it filled with news of shootings – more shootings – this time of police officers at a peaceful gathering protesting the recent police shootings of two black Americans in Minnesota and Louisiana. Instead of going to bed, I now find myself sat at my desk wide awake, sad and confused about what is happening to the world. Sad for the families left to grieve, sad for the lives of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile taken, sad that we wake up every day to news of more deaths.

But the sadness quickly turned to anger as I noticed tweets blaming the black community and the #BlackLivesMatter movement, as well as a few calls for Trump to ‘save America’ and the always-present yet wildly misused rebuttal: ‘All Lives Matter.’ And that’s when I got mad. No more. No more of this.

_____________

Dear fellow white people,

When someone says ‘Black Lives Matter’, WE DO NOT HAVE A RIGHT TO GET OFFENDED. You do not have a right to turn it around and make it all about you and say ‘All Lives Matter’. This is not about your rights. It’s not about making sure we know that police lives matter too. It’s not a contest or a war to be won of whose lives matter most. No one is arguing that white lives matter… because it has never been an issue. There is no need to remind everyone that white lives matter – the world is reminded everyday when our white privilege affords us more rights and freedoms than any other race, without question or concern, simply because of the colour of our skin.

The Black Lives Matter movement is NOT AN ATTACK ON YOU. It is not racist. It is not trying to take your rights away or make you a lesser citizen. The Black Lives Matter movement is a cry for change – it’s about equality and it’s about championing for justice. It’s about being heard and respected as human beings. Wouldn’t you be frustrated if your voice was being ignored? Wouldn’t you stage sit-ins and hold protests if human rights didn’t apply to you the same way they do to everyone else? This civil unrest hasn’t just arrived out of nowhere, guys – it’s the eruption of years and years of built-up frustration from a group of people who have been persecuted, killed and enslaved at the hand of white people for centuries. Saying things like ‘All Lives Matter’ and ‘Blue Lives Matter’ does exactly what white privilege has always allowed us to do – it disempowers the message and silences the voice of black people.

So, fellow white people, if I can please ask of you one thing, it’s this: just stop. Drop the phrase ‘All Lives Matter’. Stop taking the message and making it yours. And instead of being on the defense any time a person of colour speaks up about the way their family, friends and culture are being mistreated and abused by an unjust society, we need to close our mouths and open our ears.

Because what is happening to black members of our communities is not okay.

It is not okay for a human life to be taken away so easily and without repercussion.
It is not okay for the colour of someone’s skin to determine their character, social status or quality of life.
It is not okay for children of colour to grow up fearing they might be gunned down by the same people that are supposed to protect them.
It is not okay for a disproportionate amount of black men and women to be incarcerated for the same petty crimes that white people get a slap on the wrist for.
It is not okay for it to be 2016 and still have racially biased lawmakers, judicial authorities and protective services running shit.

It is not fucking okay.

And it’s not okay to sit back and say, ‘Well, this is a black issue so it doesn’t really affect me.’ Because it sure as hell does. The mistreatment of any member of a society affects ALL of the people within it. And even though as white people we can’t ever imagine the feeling of prejudice or amount of racial profiling that a person of colour has to deal with every single day, there’s still plenty that you can do to provoke change.

Listen.
Educate yourself.
Show your support.
Respect black culture.
Get angry.
Get involved.
Stand up for what is good and what is right.
Teach your kids that Black Lives Matter.

Because the more voices that speak up, the harder it is to drown them out.

___________

I don’t usually discuss the ins and outs of politics, race or religion here on This Renegade Love but I’m sad that it’s 2016 and we still need to be having this conversation. That being said, we need to have this conversation – we can’t just pretend that racial inequality doesn’t exist because it makes us ‘uncomfortable’ to talk about it.

Spread the message. Provoke change.
– Lauren

Dear White People: This is Why Black Lives Matter

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  1. so well written – i couldn’t have said or thought it better myself. This is such a powerful message Lauren. More people in this world need to think like you do.

  2. Danielle says:

    Thank you

  3. Josie says:

    Thank you for this! I am convinced that , sometimes, the change will come from the white community, people like you who understands what’s going on, with facts and talk about it! Thank you again!

  4. Kory says:

    Very powerful & well written! Thanks for sharing, Lauren!

  5. Lesley Anne says:

    Yes yes yes yes Thank you! This is so fricken well written and explained perfectly that I want to hug you. By spreading the word, speaking up and educating people we can create change and start conversation.
    I’ve had chats with people that will say “all lives matter” but you can clearly see that they just don’t get it, they don’t understand it all. This post explained it all and I hope lots of people will see this and other posts and get educated because #blacklivesmatter!

    “When you know better, you do better”.

  6. Tessa says:

    The Simple, Beautiful, Truth.

  7. Dale potter says:

    Keep up the good fight god made all colors and loves all colors

  8. Thuy says:

    Thanks for sharing this viewpoint. I’ve been seeing a lot of retorts along the lines of, “All Lives Matter,” whenever see a #BlackLivesMatter video on YouTube. I also have seen people asserting that you can’t support the #BlackLivesMatter movement while supporting a certain presidential candidate. All so crazy!

    http://www.dressupchowdown.com

  9. Thank you so much for this piece.

  10. Sandra says:

    Reading this made me cry. I’m literally in tears because this is exactly what I try to explain to people who seem to be upset at the whole Black lives matter movement. Everyone’s perspective is shaped by their experiences. There is never just one truth but rather different views of the same coin. If you’ve always had a positive experience with cops or didn’t experience what it’s like to be discrimated against, you won’t understand someone who has had a bad experience with the law and/or has been discriminated against, unless you put yourself in their shoes. The only way to truly unite and come to a mutual understanding, is through empathy. If we don’t practice that, I think we are royally screwed.

  11. Paolo says:

    Funny how I can’t post this truth ?

    Every culture and race has been abused and mistreated. From the holocost to modern day Islam Asians wer treated as slaves murdered killed building North American railways and mining pits. We are ALL SLAVES!! even today !! To separate people by stating colour or nationality does the very thing we are fighting against ” SEPARATION!!! ”

    I’m black I’m white I’m Christian I’m a Jew ! who CARES!!! we Are people first ! HUMAN BEINGS !! Saying All lives matter doesn’t drown voices. Saying a specific one DOES! Do you know how many Hispanics have been shot and killed by police ” Anthony Nunez was shot! Killed by police On the forth of July 2016 Pedro Villenueva was killed. But who’s talking about them ? You wanna talk about drowning someone’s voice !? WHOS SPEAKING FOR THEM!? Or does “LatinolivesNotmatter This black and white thing is a way for the American Gov to drive a wedge. Divide and conquer. Separated We are weaker ! We have to stop these lynchings. That are happening , And if you want to tell white people to shut the fuck up? Maybe Just maybe. you should take your. Own advice. And stop talking about slavery 1000 years later. Especially in one group. We are all slaves!! Shackled brains. Gov keeping us down. In line. Working for little pay. Food prices going up. And pay going down. Everyone matters! Humans matter. Animals matter. The air we breathe. Our polluted waters matter. Our Mother Earth matters ! Let’s focus on love. And light and change on how we treat each other as human beings. Lastly. These cops aren’t racists !! They’re cowards!! Pussies with guns!!
    Little babies that are scared of someone because they wer told as children that they’re dangerous murderers.
    Also there is such thing as reverse racism right ?

    Does it make it right that if given the chance they would kill first. Just for fun if they could get away with it.
    And by they. I mean any nationality by “they”
    It’s the individual person that’s evil! In any race

    • Mixed Gal says:

      Thank you. As a human being (and for the trolls- who make this have to be said, I’m mixed race). I completely agree with everything you’ve said above. It’s time to unite not further divide. The pendulum swings too far in either direction to compensate for the last. How about a little balance?

  12. Slow clap.

    Still clapping.

    Loved this.

  13. Reeve says:

    This is beautiful and powerful and NEEDS to be said. I’m so grateful you found the words to put into writing what I have been feeling and also needing to hear. xo

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  15. Martin M Weeks says:

    “Black lives matter” is a violent racist group trying to promote themselves as a group for racial justice. Obama was one of their biggest supporters as evidenced by his lack of support for police officers. Why aren’t they in the streets of Chicago every night promoting peace? Simple, it’s not what they stand for.

  16. Kacie says:

    I shared this on my FB page. 100% agree.

  17. Robert Bridge says:

    I am white and I totally agree with what you have written,you are awesome

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I'm a Brand & Content Strategist with 15 years of experience in helping businesses craft their brand story and build trust through authentic storytelling.

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