This editorial argues that the only people who would utilize the ‘all lives matter’ argument aid and propagate the white supremacy, reciting the origins and motivation of racist oppression and systemic inequality. Moreover, the work points out that the oppression of the poor does not seem to affect the more privileged classes adversely. Furthermore, it contends that supporting the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement is not something to be seen as honorable but rather as a very human and natural intent. Lastly, the article argues that treating black lives as non-essential ultimately threatens human lives globally because such a mentality affects other vulnerable groups such as indigenous people, women, or other marginalized ethnicities.
This article uses conversation analysis and modeling to analyze the speeches on BLM and All Lives Matter (ALM) topics. The significant finding is that commonly, ALM proponents often base arguments around the critiques of the BLM’s flaws rather than providing an original and substantial basis for their arguments. Moreover, the author contends that in such communities, despite the presented public attitude that all lives truly matter, many of the ALM activists prove the exact contrary by their actions. Hence, the article concludes that utilizing the sentence ‘all lives matter’ to refute and not support the statement ‘black lives matter’ is an example of hypocrisy and effectively manifests a racist mindset.
This study examines the public schools’ policies in New York, focusing specifically on the district equity initiatives. Many such initiatives, in the attempts to accommodate for ‘all lives,’ undermine the attempts at educational equity and ultimately reinforce the present state of racial division. Moreover, the current educational focus on the academic performance in evaluating schools puts the already marginalized, struggling, and underfunded schools under even more pressure. Furthermore, the author stresses that recognizing race and the historic oppression structures is vital in combating systemic racism and that color blindness and ‘white innocence’ notions do the exact opposite. Therefore, the article provides a new approach to critically evaluating neoliberal equity initiatives in schools.
This publication highlights that much of the antagonization of the BLM stems from misunderstanding its initial aim. The article highlights that the initial sentiment of the BLM is as a peaceful movement and discusses how some of the ALM activists came to see the BLM as a ‘hating whites’ group. One of the major critiques of the ‘all lives matter statement’ that the author makes is that there is no appropriate emphasis placed on the fact that historically, black lives have been forgotten by society. Therefore, it is argued that emphasizing black lives brings equity by placing more focus on something that the American society has been reluctant to hear and acknowledge.
At the heart of this analysis, there is a conflict between two competing hypotheses: first, “modern society will continue to reject social change,” and second, “contradictions will allow change to occur.” However, the author contends that the change is possible by arguing that the BLM brought the necessary criticism and opened the space for discussion. Moreover, such spaces should not be populated solely by black activists – with a conscious effort, white people can and should unlearn prior mindsets and join in the fight for black rights. Lastly, the work criticizes the ALM by stating that not only does it deny the realities of racism for comfort but also tries to weaken the BLM by subverting its argument.
The article argues that continuous, systematic, and complex change is vital to sustaining the momentum of the BLM, and a part of this action must come at the level of altering university programs. Moreover, the authors highlight the society that heavily favors white people – whether financially, educationally, in employment, or in social perceptions. Therefore, the article argues that it is as crucial as ever to recognize the damage dealt with the most vulnerable groups explicitly. Lastly, the article notes a presence of anxiety surrounding the topic of race and further stresses the importance of open conversation and critical reflection on the societal state.