Introduction
Racial discrimination is a problem that exists in considerable parts of the world. Consequently, various campaigns and organizations have emerged to address racism, one of them being the BLM (Black Lives Matter) movement. BLM has obtained substantial attention after the death of George Floyd due to police brutality in 2020, and the campaign has thrown light on the continuous, systematic oppression faced by the black population (Phoenix, 2020). Nonetheless, while some people announce that black lives matter, others respond by saying that all lives matter (Loken, 2017). Consequently, the public seems to be separated between those who support BLM and those who take notice of the importance of each being (Loken, 2017). However, one can argue that BLM does not intend to prioritize black but indicates major societal problems, whereas ALM (All Lives Matter) appears to value every person but simultaneously neglects issues. Therefore, the concern should not be around choosing an allegedly right group but rather identifying and resolving the crises that the two parties discourse.
Main body
The primary issue addressed by BLM is racial discrimination, which can be traced back to slavery. During the trans-Atlantic slave trade, people of African descent were captured and taken away from their homes to be humiliated, mistreated, and forced to labor on foreign soil (Agozino, 2018). The abolition of slavery was supposed to end the oppression of the black population, but white supremacy remained and was used to burn black schools and lynch black people (Agozino, 2018). Accordingly, the idea of black individuals being inferior to white persons persists in modern days because the former is more likely to experience unreasonable violence from the latter. BLM started in 2013 after a white neighborhood watchman was acquitted for the murder of a 17-years-old black teenager, Trayvon Martin (Loken, 2017). The movement continued for years and gained more awareness when not a mere civilian but a police officer, meant to protect the nation, killed an innocent black citizen (Agozino, 2018). BLM originates from systematic racism that is expressed through brutality reinforced by those in power against the black population.
The BLM campaign signifies problems in how the authorities respond to the consequences of their own actions. BLM resulted from black individuals realizing that they had experienced enough injustice and needed to remind the public of the value of their lives (Loken, 2017). Consequently, black people decided to protest to raise awareness of police brutality (Loken, 2017). Following the unlawful murder of Michael Brown, demonstrations started in Ferguson, Missouri, to which the state reacted by sending law enforcement officers with military gear and tanks against unarmed citizens (Loken, 2017). People in control, according to Loken (2017), did not wish for anyone to express their frustrations or criticize the system. After separate protests in Baltimore that were mostly peaceful and organized, except for violence from some individuals, the media presented the events mainly in a negative light, describing the participants as criminals (Loken, 2017). Interestingly, when similar occurrences involve a predominantly white population, the media rarely uses condemning language to portray white persons (Loken, 2017). BLM suggests that while the organs of public opinion facilitate racial biases, the authorities use their power to avoid facing societal issues.
The BLM movement demonstrates that if the community allows violence against black people and protects the murderers, then discrimination is likely to exist in other situations. For instance, racial injustice hinders educational equity, which is related to managing such social gaps as achievement, employment opportunity, and affordable housing (Lewis-Durham, 2020). In particular, the achievement gap means differences in standardized test performance between white students and those from minority groups (Lewis-Durham, 2020). Educational policies can affect the discrepancies, but when policymakers neglect the harm of systematic discrimination, they maintain white innocence (Lewis-Durham, 2020). Such a concept refers to excusing white individuals from responsibility or accountability for addressing the inhumanity of racism (Lewis-Durham, 2020). White innocence allows dominant social groups to ignore injustice, preserve white privilege, and continue biased practices (Lewis-Durham, 2020). Consequently, policymakers support white supremacy by emphasizing contradicting goals, with educational initiatives striving to focus on equity rather than performance outcomes while simultaneously pursuing more traditional objectives, such as career readiness (Lewis-Durham, 2020). BLM indicates that because policies cannot handle equity alongside fine academic results, educational establishments concentrate on white privilege and facilitate the mistreatment of minority populations.
Furthermore, the proponents of ALM can imply that not only black people but everyone faces discrimination to a certain extent. For example, at the time of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, wage workers were mistreated and extremely over labored until the abolition of slavery (Agozino, 2018). During the Civil War, a considerable amount of those who died was comprised of white persons who were poor and did not enslave anyone (Agozino, 2018). The supporters of ALM can argue that the modern white population should not be held accountable for the actions of their antecedents (Lewis-Durham, 2020). Moreover, all individuals are subject to violence, especially in the US, where police brutality causes more death than in any other nation in the world (Loken, 2017). Notably, although law enforcement officers disproportionally and illegitimately kill black people, a lot more white individuals die at the hands of the police (Agozino, 2018). ALM suggests that black people are not the only ones who experience injustice and that rather than prioritizing one group, society must remember that every being is important.
One can oppose the above discussion by saying that regardless of the issues addressed by ALM and BLM, society should choose a particular side in the debate between the two parties. It may appear that by inclining to a specific group, the public would be able to concentrate on a certain problem and determine more useful ways to resolve it. However, considering that the main point of both movements should be providing justice for all people, it appears that ALM is wrong in its true intentions. ALM suggests that racism is over, and the words saying that “all lives matter” sound unifying and just (Newell, 2017, p. 21). Nevertheless, the positive statement belongs to an idealized unreal world that delegitimizes the voices of the oppressed and denies racism and discrimination rather than encouraging people to act for change (Newell, 2017). Therefore, society must not be pushed to decide between BLM and ALM because ALM does not really exist in the sense that its proponents claim. Instead of spending time and resources on determining which campaign proposes a better position, the public should focus on the main concern, which is racism.
Finally, while it may seem that BLM prioritizes the existence of black persons over other races and ethnicities, the movement signifies the beginning of a transformation. Many communities share a culture that favors white people regarding such aspects as education and job opportunities, but BLM has connected various individuals to fight against racial inequalities (Phoenix, 2020). The campaign has initiated open conversations about injustice, and instead of contradicting BLM, some activists have extended the statement into Asian Lives Matter, Arab Lives Matter, Indigenous Lives Matter, and multiple other declarations (Agozino, 2018). Consequently, ALM does not exist yet, but it can because when black lives matter, other lives also begin to matter (Loken, 2017). If the black population were indeed included in ALM, police brutality would not be an issue (Loken, 2017). Black people must not be the only ones to salvage the oppression, but all social minority groups should unite in the struggle against mistreatment (Loken, 2017). BLM has been challenging racist beliefs and attitudes, thus establishing a basis for transformations in numerous communities (Agozino, 2018). BLM requires continuous joint effort but is a leading movement toward an actual ALM.
Summary
To summarize, society should concentrate not on the debate between BLM and ALM but rather on problems that each campaign raises. The public should realize that the current ALM disguises its true intentions under a mask of striving for equity for everyone and distracts attention from significant concerns. ALM that truly fights discrimination and provides support for each person is the final goal, but it can be obtained when all communities unite. While proponents of both BLM and ALM oppose each other, they do not oppose racism and its consequences. People need to understand that there is only one side, which is represented by those who honestly challenge and resist inequalities instead of discussing statements of different movements.
References
Agozino, B. (2018). Black lives matter otherwise all lives do not matter. African Journal of Criminology and Justice Studies: AJCJS, 11(1), 1–11.
Lewis-Durham, T. (2020). “All lives matter”: How districts co-opt equity language and maintain the status quo. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 28(141), 1–25.
Loken, S. (2017). The Black Lives Matter movement and why the response of All Lives Matter is misleading. Explorations in Ethnic Studies, 37–38(1), 63–81.
Newell, E. (2017). Irrational in its rationality: A critique of the All Lives Matter movement and one-dimensional society [University of Tennessee at Chattanooga]. 1–27.
Phoenix, A., Amesu, A., Naylor, I., & Zafar, K. (2020). Viewpoint: ‘When black lives matter all lives will matter’ − A teacher and three students discuss the BLM movement. London Review of Education.