Black Lives Matter Always, Not Just on Blackout Tuesday

Do Black Lives Matter only on Blackout Tuesday?

I don’t normally like to publicly share my personal opinions on big issues. BUT, THIS HAS GOT TO STOP.

Too much has gone on in the last month for me to stay silent. It has taken me a while to express myself as I collect my own thoughts and feelings about the America we live in. This is not only an issue in Trump’s America – racial inequality, police brutality, systemic oppression have always been an issue in America. Periodt.

My black brothers and sisters constantly being targeted, harassed, senselessly killed while innocent, unarmed, and undeserving of that fate. Having to constantly live in fear for their lives is no way to live. I can’t even fathom living my whole life that way. Enough is enough.

We are in the situation we’re in because we don’t value one another. We live our lives selfishly, lacking respect and appreciation for others. As a society, we lack the maturity to see life from other people’s perspectives. These are the first steps we need to correct. I’m guilty of all of this.

I am not black, and I cannot sit here and pretend that I know everything our black community goes through on a daily basis. I do, however, feel for them. 

The BLM movement started in 2013.

TWENTY THIRTEEN. Yet, many of us place it on the back burner until something horrific happens. While most of us are here supporting our black brothers and sisters – chanting “Black Lives Matter” and blacking out our social media screens for “Black Tuesday” now that this is a pressing issue, what happens next week when this all starts dying down? Next month? Next year? How are we carrying this movement forward to make a change? Will we have to wait for another innocent man or woman to be killed to be reminded of the hatred this country was built upon?

I stand behind the protesters. I do not, however, stand behind the rioters. A lot of riots are taking place in underprivileged communities – the very people we are supposed to be fighting for! If you are out there to be a part of a change, DO NOT ruin someone else’s livelihood. Go out, protest, and most importantly VOTE. What is destroying underprivileged communities bringing you anyway? Bad Karma.

For me, I will always stand for justice. I did this through college – attending protests, met by riot police more than once, being peppersprayed…all of it. I will continue to use my privilege and platform to speak out against the injustices in this world. And I will continue to try and educate to the best of my ability.

Things you can do to help at home:

• Check in on your friends of color.
• Talk about race with those people in your lives not of color. 
• Teach family & friends about structural racism – a safe, inclusive environment starts with those closest to you.
• Do your research on racism to arm yourself with facts. Read. Listen. Watch. Then, Educate.
• Become an ally.
• Extra resources:
  • Self Care for Tips for Black People
  • Anti-Racism Project
  • Implicit Bias Tests – 100% agree with my results