Black Lives Matter. Stand with black people and amplify their voices. Stand up to stop systemic racism and white supremacy.
I wanted to touch on something that is being said a lot and I think it is very inconsiderate and harmful.
'All lives matter' I heard/read that so often for the past few days. If you are one of the people who get this thought whenever you hear/read "Black Lives Matter": Black Lives Matter means just that. It does not mean ONLY Black Lives Matter. Black Lives Matter is not a war against white lives or any other lives. It is a movement against systematic racism and a fight for equal rights and equal treatment of people of color.
Black people constantly fear for their lives. To fear the police has to be a very scary world to live in. Can you even imagine, if you are a white person, how that has to feel? I can only try and I get a sick feeling in my stomach. That is just probably a tiny sample of what black people feel daily.
All lives matter, yes, but we system is discriminating against the lives of black people, so we all need to stand with them against the system and speak loudly that we do not support the system of white supremacy and racism and it has to end.
It is not enough to be just non-racist. We all need to be anti-racist, and stand strong with black people. Amplify their voices - make sure they are heard.
What can I do to help?
1. Listen. Lisen what black people have to say. Acknowledge their feelings and experiences.
2. Donate. Donate to organizations that fight for the rights and lives of black people or head over to YouTube, turn your add-blocker of and watch videos that donate all the money from AdSense.
3. Educate. Educate yourself, learn about systematic racism, and how the system we live in now is destructive to people of color. Educate others.
4. Petitions. Sign petitions to make sure all the police officers that killed black people are brought to justice.
5. Vote. Whenever there are elections in your city/region/country make sure you vote for the parties/individuals that are anti-racist and can bring the change.
6. Speak up. It can take many forms. Join anti-racists, and Black Lives Matter protests, educate your friends and family, create a social media platform where you educate the people, etc.
