Do Black Lives Matter?

It’s a bit of an absurd question, isn’t it? So why did you click on this post? Why does it rile us up so much and spark so many fights? Of course black lives matter. As do blue lives, white lives, brown lives, asian lives…all lives matter. But if I titled this post “All Lives Matter”, the same people who would have been up in arms over “black lives matter” would be silent as the other side became offended.

So basically, even though we claim that racism is getting better and there isn’t a need for black this or white that anymore, we still live in two camps. We just don’t call them the confederate and union camps anymore.

You could claim to be a member of the third camp where you are color blind and everyone is equal and the sun shines every day and everyone rides unicorns to work…but no one is really buying that. And if that is truly your way of thinking, God bless your uninformed heart. You just keep dreaming and telling yourself Santa is real.

We can all agree that we have progressed a long way from the days of slavery. You can no longer buy a person and force them to do things for you as you could in 1864. Today is also better than the years leading up to 1954, when schools were still segregated, or the years leading up to 1965, when black people were not allowed to vote. Thank God that leaders like Martin Luther King were able to effect change and bring the injustice to light.

Now (to the best of my knowledge as a white woman, which is poor at best), the greatest struggles lie in prejudice and racial profiling and unnecessary brutality. Those are still unacceptable repercussions for something as innocent as your ethnicity. No one should be pre-judged by their heritage or punished more severely because of assumptions. I hope that, in my lifetime, those remaining injustices will fade into history or be greatly lessened.

Bottom line, I see good and bad in both camps. If I were black and I had to live with the assumptions of others, or hear my grandparents talk about not being allowed to vote, or trace my family line back to being owned and abused; I would be enraged and standing along side those who advocate for justice and equality. However, holding an attitude of entitlement that is tainted with bitterness and hate is wrong and gives “black lives matter” a bad reputation. Being angry and striking back only begins war, it does not help your stance or make people listen.

Meanwhile, in the opposing camp, let’s back down and consider the history that is influencing the passion on the other side. Things are better but they are not yet where they should be. And, even if everything was equal and racism was truly a thing of the past, can we please just show some compassion and tolerance as the wounds heal? Let’s remember how to be generous and gracious and open. Instead of rolling your eyes at “black history month”, why don’t you sit down and watch one of the specials on tv and try their shoes on. We all have to watch our attitudes.

No matter which camp you find yourself in, we can all agree that we all have issues and we all need more love and less judgement. Don’t try to make things right by joining the other side; make things right by stepping closer to the other side. If we all take small steps towards the middle, maybe we can merge into one camp instead of two. Choose love, choose understanding, choose to see people through God’s eyes which are neither black nor white.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” – Martin Luther King 

About the Author

Holly

I am a homeschooling, stay at home mom of four amazing humans which I co-created with the help of my husband of 15+ years, Michael. We love family, good food, big laughs, and getting into trouble together. We have no idea what we are doing, but we love each other and we love Jesus!

"We may not have it all together; but together, we have everything."

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