I’ve never been a supporter of the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter or much of the associated hashtag activism. For many in this millennial generation, simply changing one’s Facebook profile picture, sending out a tweet with a trending hashtag or sharing the latest story which affirms their outrage (though at times justified) is the sum total of their contribution. Such behavior is lazy, disingenuous and ill-conceived in generating momentum for a movement. A well-timed status update rant largely does nothing other than massage one’s ego and tricks the person into believing he/she has “done their part in the struggle.”
Let me be abundantly clear, I’ve never been a supporter of the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter. Its use set in motion the predictable and invariable response; distracting from the central issue. From the very beginning, more time has been spent debating the efficacy and accuracy of #BlackLivesMatter vs. #AllLivesMatter. The result has been wasted resources and wasted social capital; surrounding a faux debate as to which hashtag is more socially acceptable. I too am now guilty of feeding the monster. Nonetheless, my method will hopefully end this madness.
For what it’s worth…
#AllLivesMatter is to say that everyone is of equal value; everyone shares equally in the burden, responsibility and most importantly the pain. It denies inequity altogether. It (not-so-coincidentally) is the response offered by those who mostly have not been touched by ANY of the issues raised by #BlackLivesMatter.
#AllLivesMatter in response to unlawful police behavior is to say that everyone shares in the danger of police brutality, including women and children. It implies that every child is as susceptible to falling victim to unlawful police behavior as mine.
That is not true and never has been.
#AllLivesMatter is to say that everyone is equally as concerned about the death of Samuel DuBose in Cincinnati as they are about anyone who doesn’t look like Samuel DuBose or share similar life experiences.
Tell me this is the case. Lie to me if you dare. Tell me that DuBose’s death you did see, pained you at least as much as the death of Cecil the Lion which you didn’t see. Say it to me with a straight face.
#AllLivesMatter is to suggest that those kidnapped and slain by Boko Haram the same week as those in the Charlie Hebdo massacre are of equal value and we’d walk arm-in-arm in support of the former, not just the latter…even though we didn’t.
#AllLivesMatter would have us believe that Hollywood’s elite from Mia Farrow to Jimmy Kimmel would both get angry and choked up respectively about 12-year-old Tamir Rice being gunned down in a park as they did over a lion in Africa. Or, at least acknowledge that their emotional responses for the animal which would gladly kill both of them were misplaced and disproportionate. And just FYI, Cecil the Lion lived longer than Tamir Rice.
#AllLivesMatter (if true) would mean that there wouldn’t be a disconnect from those who claim to be “Pro-Life,” angry over the very existence of Planned Parenthood, yet indifferent to seeing a man shot in the face by a police officer over a front license plate or running away. The time has come to highlight the difference between being “Pro-Zygote,” and “Pro-Life.” They are not the same.
Believe it or not, we were all zygotes. How some lives seem to matter less after birth, I’m not exactly sure. Maybe someone who is “Pro-Life” can tell you why #AllZygotesMatter
The world around you us offers little evidence of #AllLivesMatter to be true. The point of #BlackLivesMatter is to convey the specific group of people who do not enjoy the support, protection or respect of the world. The evidence is found in the petitions in support of Cecil the Lion and not #SandraBland.
No, #NotAllLivesMatter. It’s just not true.
#AllLivesMatter denies the discrepancy between condemning President Obama’s remarks regarding Trayvon Martin as “divisive” and “race-baiting” while also praising presidential candidate Donald Trump’s remarks on Mexicans and Latinos as “refreshing,” “honest” or “telling it like it is.” We’d rather believe and accept that Latino immigrants (illegal or otherwise) are mostly rapists and criminals than that President Obama might actually identify with the consequences of racial stereotyping.
#NotAllLivesMatter…is that better now? Is that less offensive for the offended?
No, not all lives matter or are treated as such. #AllLivesMatter is aspirational and distracts from the issues at hand. Those who use #BlackLivesMatter are screaming to get your attention to highlight these simple truths.
Is the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter inartful?
Probably. Impolitic…definitely.
But this wasn’t ever about being politically correct. This was always about afflicting the comfortable while comforting the afflicted. THAT is the foundation of social justice.
Instead, those who use #AllLivesMatter choose to argue about the wallpaper and packaging of the movement, instead of its merits…thus proving the point.
I wouldn’t want anyone who is about the business of trying to shine a light on the issue of unlawful police behavior to engage in dishonest messaging. Not everyone is liable to be killed after an encounter with police. Not everyone is likely to end up hanged in a jail cell (3 at a time in a week no less) and have most of America respond with indifference. And after it happens, not everyone is going to offer equitable concern. Sharing in the hashtag but not the danger and subsequent pain is both dishonest and offensive. (Insert cultural appropriation arguments here.)
Once again, I’ve never been a supporter of hashtag activism or specifically the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter. It has bogged us down in fruitless endeavors of having to fight to merely explain the obvious, as opposed to dealing with the realities of unlawful police behavior. Too much time (including right now) is spent having to justify a hashtag, as opposed to ensuring liberty and justice for all.
But…I get it (the hashtag). I understand it. Maybe I need to be the conduit for you to get it too.
#AllLivesMatter implies, requires and demands accountability beyond social media habits. It must include a degree of consistency and concern for everyone; regardless of how inconvenient and politically expedient it may be. I wholeheartedly wish it were true that #AllLivesMatter. I also wish that everyone was pulling their weight in making it a reality.
Those wishes haven’t come true…yet.
#BlackLivesMatter may not be the best tool to convey the message of social inequity. In fact, I am positive it isn’t. But until #AllLives are impacted surrounding these issues and #AllLives share in the pain and the burden, #BlackLivesMatter will have to do. Those most impacted may not know of a better way to express the frustration of men, women and children dying while not engaging in illegal activity. But someone needs to be honest enough to admit beyond those impacted that we’re not impacted equally.
Correction, “everyone.”
And let’s be honest, would anyone even have taken note of #AllLivesMatter?
Probably not.
With that now out of the way, can we get to the business of justice for all in America? Then and only then can we say #AllLivesMatter.
9 responses to “Why I’ve Never Supported (The Hashtag) #BlackLivesMatter”
when someone complains about social media activism by writing something on social media.
why don’t you DO something about it instead or writing a piece on it?…so LAZY!
yes, let’s condemn any sort of acknowledgement of injustice that’ll get the ball rolling…
or…will it justify any sort of skewed biases against the blacklivesmatter movement? hmm…
a black guy said so it has to be true…but wait, it’s SO obvious so that won’t happen right?
Oh Vanessa, I am and always have.
I just don’t trumpet it publicly. My greatest concern with #BlackLivesMatter is that there is no action item attached. Instead of just a hashtag, there should be a specific piece of legislation to support or repeal.
There is no specific call for civilian oversight or mandatory body cams in municipalities which don’t have them. Moving beyond the hashtag changes the plight and condition. Stopping at the hashtag and forwarding stories means nothing. Moments must be mobilized to generate momentum…and THEN you have a movement. Give angst and anger their marching orders, don’t stop at reading them the news.
I could tell you of my involvement with city officials in Los Angeles regarding Ezell Ford and the push for body cameras for all LAPD, but that’s not why I’m here today. Each incident, city is different. One hashtag size doesn’t fit all.
Thanks for commenting, now kindly respond with what action item is attached to #BlackLivesMatter. What are the marching orders?
Right…there are none.
either you were quick to plug that in or the sarcasm didn’t sink in there or I’m misunderstanding i don’t know…but I was referring to you doing something about us millennials being lazy social media activists, not the movement itself. tried to flip it but ahhh forget it.
…aside from that, thanks for your endeavors in improving our plight and condition. HEARING that is inspiring and I’m always looking for a way to be involved somehow.
but i would also suggest talking to us and teaching about it…most people only know what the #blacklivesmatter movement shed light on. and that’s a start. legislation is sooo out a lot of people realms…put us on. instead of being critical, condemning people, the smug attitude in this article doesn’t unify us or would probably inspire people to do anything – the very thing you complain about. it only leaves us open to those who are looking to justify being dismissive and ignorant of black issues. you diminished the hashtag but left no real resolution either. it’s weird “trumpet” your criticisms but not what you’ve done.
who cares how the momentum starts, why not look to reinforce it instead? why not use social media and use your following and to show individuals how to be involved in the legislation processes you speak of? This is the age of social media, you can use it to your benefit without demonizing the people you want to help.
” “Airing our dirty laundry” is seen as one of the biggest sins precisely because it often serves to feed the agendas of those who have little interest in seeing the racial balance of power equalize.”
So in other words…that was your flowery way of saying you have not an answer to my question as to directive of #BlackLivesMatter. You have no specific strategy to employ, no goal in specific to achieve…just “equality.”
The Civil Rights Movement was wholly about two pieces of legislation being passed. And you come to me with no plan, no goal…just a hashtag and anger.
I see your anger and now raise you a sarcasm. Let us envision a world in which everyone uses the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter…
We then have accomplished what? Raised awareness? Ensured the equal treatment of all citizens during police stops?
You have no metric, you have no enforcement provision. You have a hashtag. Come back more prepared with your responses next time. I will be here.
But I GAVE you a real resolution. LEGISLATION, CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT, MANDATORY BODY CAMS. That varies as to the city involved. L.A. has civilian oversight and limited use of body cams. #BlackLivesMatter doesn’t help Ezell Ford’s family. Removal of the current leadership of the LAPD and revision of training techniques will.
I gave you PLENTY of options. You’ve mentioned NOT ONE. Don’t insult my intelligence with your outrage masquerading as enlightened protest. Your hashtag has brought news coverage which you’ve not parlayed into actual change.
Not fooled, not impressed.
I hate having to do your WORK for you Vanessa. You have NO answer as to why there is not a stated list of demands or changes needed. You have NO answer as to what you require of one police force, much less all of them.
Asking for #EqualRespectOfAllLives of #MoreRespectForBlackLives isn’t a movement, it’s a trending hashtag. It doesn’t change the plight of anyone because you haven’t given anything tangible for anyone to change.
It is WHY OWS Movement failed. It’s not about whether their grievances were real and worthy of redress. It’s that it was a headless and directionless occupation with no action items attached.
BODY CAMERAS ARE WHAT MADE THE DIFFERENCE IN THE SAMUEL DUBOSE SHOOTING…not a hashtag.
CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT is what made the difference in the beating of the homeless woman by the CHP officer on the side of the freeway.
But you want to argue about a hashtag. Thank you for proving me right. Come back with a PLAN.
My sarcasm was to show how ridiculous the rhetoric of the article is.
You might as yell to homeless people, “Why don’t you get a job?”
People who ask for a living wage, “Why don’t you go to school?”
You also still failed to respond or acknowledge how these could criticisms hurt – more so than the hashtag. If the hashtag really does nothing then I suggest you just leave it alone. Clearly from your POV, millennials, or anyone else involved weren’t changing anything anyway. However, it’s articles like these are divisive and doesn’t help and work against the very things you do. Just keep doing what you were doing, quietly in your resentment then.
I’m not the angry one, sir. I’m telling you people clearly don’t know and you’re doing is being upset for people not knowing. You have the answers and your crabs in a bucket mentality just rather make a change you by diminishing ignorant people who could be possibly doing the same. There are just better ways… There is power in numbers and information is all I was saying. How are people going to do anything if they don’t know as much as you? It can’t just be you right? What happens after you?
You’re offering blanket solutions, who wakes up and say I will get body cams for my city today? There’s a course of action, there’s people to talk to and clearly it’s not you, although you would know.
My sarcasm was to show how ridiculous the rhetoric of the article is.
You might as yell to homeless people, “Why don’t you get a job?”
People who ask for a living wage, “Why don’t you go to school?”
You also still failed to respond or acknowledge how these could criticisms hurt – more so than the hashtag. If the hashtag really does nothing then I suggest you just leave it alone. Clearly from your POV, millennials, or anyone else involved weren’t changing anything anyway. However, it’s articles like these are divisive and doesn’t help and work against the very things you do. Just keep doing what you were doing, quietly in your resentment then.
I’m not the angry one, sir. I’m telling you people clearly don’t know and you’re doing is being upset for people not knowing. There are just better ways… There is power in numbers and information is all I was saying. How are people going to do anything if they don’t know as much as you? It can’t just be you right? What happens after you?
You’re offering blanket solutions, who wakes up and say I will get body cams for my city today? There’s a course of action, there’s people to talk to and clearly it’s not you, although you would know.
I have humored you and your sarcasm long enough. You have no plan. I have offered SPECIFIC solutions as examples, multiple ones. You have offered snark and sarcasm. Zero specifics. You have no plan and not one attached to #BlackLivesMatter.
But see, that’s what happens when you can’t offer a plan, you argue everything else. Body cams are one solution of many. Legislation regarding the use of deadly force is another. Repeal of legislation regarding engagement practices such as Stop ‘n Frisk are another. I said give me a plan.
You don’t have one. You have nothing but a hashtag. Like #BringOurGirlsBack.
Tell me, how’s that Stand Your Ground work coming along? Exactly.
Bye.
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