Black Lives Matter

Black lives matter. Black lives matter. Black lives matter.

Many thoughts weigh heavily on my mind at the moment. I am not sure how to best articulate them, but I am just going to start typing.

As I am sure many of you know, there are a lot of protests going on in multiple cities across the United States of America right now. These protests are taking place to demand change to an unjust and racist systematic government and the numerous police violence incidents against black people. They took shape after the death of George Floyd, but he is not the only victim of police brutality against black people. These killings have taken place for generations upon generations, and they need to stop now.

For those who shy away from the topic due to disinterest in politics, this is not a political issue. This is a human rights issue. This is not something you should ignore because it “doesn’t pertain to you.” The bottom line is that murdering innocent people due to racial profile is morally wrong.

I will admit that I am not the most educated person on this topic, but what I do know is that the systemic racism people in the black community face on a daily basis is wrong. We do not have to be experts on the history of systematic racism to understand that change needs to happen and that it needs to happen now. As I spread awareness on the issues at hand and help in ways that I can, I am educating myself along the way to better understand the struggles of the black community. I implore you to join me in listening to the words of the black community and educating ourselves on the truth of police brutality in America.

I am not saying all police are bad; however, there have been way too many deaths due to police brutality for this to be ignored. These protests are not to criminalize every single person in the police force but, rather, to demand accountability from our police force and government to bring justice for those who were unjustly murdered and to make sure police brutality is not a reoccurring event ever again in the future.

I also believe that this is not an issue that pertains to just the United States. Black people everywhere experience racism and colorism. These issues need to be addressed and corrected throughout all nations.

I have seen many people respond with “all lives matter” or “____ lives matter too.” While these phrases may be well-intended by innocent users, please understand why they are inappropriate. “All lives matter” was appropriated from “black lives matter” to shut down the BLM movement. Saying “all lives matter” diminishes and denies the struggle of black people and misses the point of the protests completely. “All lives matter” and “____ lives matter too” are essentially telling people in the black community that they are not the only ones dealing with racism so their issues are not as pressing. Yes, we need to acknowledge and fight to end racism affecting all people of color, but there is a time and place for everything. Let’s not take away from black people of color but remember the reason behind these protests.

Furthermore, I have also heard fellow East Asians ask “where were these anti-racists when Asians were victims of coronavirus-based hate crimes?” I understand your anger and frustration. I, too, was hurt and upset by all the racism towards Asian people of color, but please understand that this is no time for pettiness. We people of color need to stand together, especially in times of need.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the black community. As a non-black person, I understand that I will never truly understand the struggles people in the black community face on a daily basis, but I hope to educate myself so that I can do my part in ending systemic racism.

I apologize if my words seem all over the place as I am not really sure how to process everything at the moment; however, I will not apologize for supporting the black community fight against systemic oppression as they demand for police accountability.