“To be a negro in this country and to be relatively conscious is to be in a rage almost all the time.” – James Baldwin
Modern America. Social movements are the new “black” so to speak. We’ve seen American workers take the fight for increased wages into their own hands. The LGBT Pride movement continues to gain momentum and has even begun to pressure politicians and businesses alike to recognize their humanity or face the consequences. The National Organization for Women celebrated its 50th year of advocating for women’s rights and continues the fight for reproductive rights and economic justice for women, to name a few causes. Black Lives Matter… well, it seems to me that Black Lives Matter continues to be the redheaded stepchild of this modern era of social movements. The movement for black lives is still searching for its validity among the masses and those in positions of power. It’s disturbing to me that a movement concentrated on addressing egregious injustice and outright disregard for black life has come to be so divisive. Let me explain…
I think we can all agree that the gap between the wages of men and women for comparable work is unjust and needs reform. Even a misogynist wouldn’t dare scream “All Wages Matter!”
And whether or not you agree with the lifestyle, most reasonable people seem to understand that members of the LGBT community should not be deprived of their basic rights as citizens of this country. There aren’t counter-movements saying that the LGBT community should include the letter “H” for heterosexuals.
This is not to say that all social movements aren’t facing some form of resistance. After all, if it weren’t for societal resistance, there would be no need for social movements. However, the movement AGAINST racism and FOR recognizing that black lives hold value stretches far beyond this modern movement, and yet, there is still widespread struggle with affirming our movement as one that is valid. A lack of empathy has created resistance in the form of criticism, mockery and aggressive opposition. Instead of joining with us to address the obvious transgressions that devalue black life, resistors mislabel and misrepresent the movement. Put in simpler terms – we still have to PROVE that our struggle and experiences are valid!
In a nation where blacks are overrepresented in the prison population of all 50 states – we still have to prove there is over-criminalizing and over-punishing of black people. As public schools are turning back the clocks to the segregation-era and we continue to see predominately black schools underfunded – we still have to prove there is systematic educational injustice. Though, according to an article by Wesley Lowery of the Washington Post, unarmed black people are five times more likely to be killed by police than unarmed white people – we still have to prove that racial profiling has deadly consequences.
The issues go on and on…
Validation of black life is not an attempt to elevate black lives over any other group. Overt racism has taken new shapes and forms throughout our nation’s history, and refusal to recognize that only makes the current culture of systematic oppression more difficult to address. The validity of black life is at the center of this modern movement. What will it take for YOU to say Black Lives Matter?
Well put! The fact itself that we must validate the reasons behind a group that’s trying to validate a certain group of human beings shows how comfortable our country is with living in ignorance and lack of empathy.