Why Black Lives Matter
Photo: Google Images.
September 17, 2016
Whether it’s heard in the news because of famous names like Colin Kaepernick sitting during the national anthem or tragic events like the death of Eric Garner, the movement “Black Lives Matter” is taking America and the world by storm.
However, with such a powerful declaration other statements such as “All Lives Matter” come into conversation. But I challenge that statement. In order for all lives to matter, black lives have to matter first.
America can be mad at Colin Kaepernick because he sat during the national anthem but fail to remember perhaps the most memorable woman of the civil right movement, Rosa Parks. Rosa refused to stand because she was sick and tired of a system that oppressed African Americans during her time and Kaepernick is now doing the same.
Some may choose to make the argument that it was disrespectful of him in terms of all of the men and women that have given their lives for our country but I challenge that as well. Any veteran who has served our country didn’t do so with anything other than defending freedom in their hearts. Is it freedom if any person of color is still oppressed in the year 2016?
The answer is simple: no. Instead we must be progressive in the fight for freedom, for all human beings to be treated equally regardless of color. If we want to achieve peace prejudice has to stop. We live in a society where we praise presidential candidates who are actively endorsed by organizations such as neo-Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan but fail to prosecute the people who kill innocent Black men and women.
Black men and women are affected by institutional racism in every aspect in our society today. If a name on a resume appears “white” the resume will receive 30 percent more callbacks than “ethnic” names. None of this sounds, or looks, like equality.
If anything can come from the most recent revival of the Black Lives Matter movement I hope Americans will become more informed. This article just touches the surfaces of issues affecting Black Americans in our society. Colin Kaepernick has set an example for not only other athletes to stand up for what they believe in but that all of us should as well.
Todd Elliott Koger CAU '83 • Sep 18, 2016 at 7:35 am
Natalie Jeffers co-founder of Blacklivesmatter UK (has a white mother and lives in America). She set up a 501(3)(c) Matters of the Earth and exactly what it does no one knows, but she is the sole director and shareholder. Last week spending grant money she was relaxing in the $200 plus a-night Costa do Sauipe Resort in Brazil that has the world’s best beaches, 9 swimming pools, and 12 restaurants. Recently she wrote that “she jets all over the world to conferences.” She also said “she loves when people talk about her hypocrisy.” She gets hundreds of thousands of dollars to fight for “Black Lives” but her efforts just focus gender inequality.
Todd Elliott Koger • Sep 18, 2016 at 7:34 am
Natalie Jeffers co-founder of Blacklivesmatter UK (has a white mother and lives in America). She set up a 501(3)(c) Matters of the Earth and exactly what it does no one knows, but she is the sole director and shareholder. Last week spending grant money she was relaxing in the $200 plus a-night Costa do Sauipe Resort in Brazil that has the world’s best beaches, 9 swimming pools, and 12 restaurants. Recently she wrote that “she jets all over the world to conferences.” She also said “she loves when people talk about her hypocrisy.” She gets hundreds of thousands of dollars to fight for “Black Lives” but her efforts just focus gender inequality.
Alan Jules Weberman • Sep 17, 2016 at 9:45 pm
Black Lives matter because these are our ancestors and we wouldn’t have evolved without them.
Richard Schreier • Sep 17, 2016 at 1:53 pm
America does not think that Black Lives do not matter. What many Americans think, rightfully so, is that BLM is a racist terrorist organization. Many BLM chapters do not allow whites as members. (straight up racist) The BLM manifesto calls to explicitly abolish the police forces in the US. They also call for blacks to be given the handout of free housing, a free wage (for no work) free college, free food, and free healthcare. All for being black. Yes Black Lives Matter, but no more so than anyone else.