August 9th of 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri, unarmed teenager Michael Brown was shot and killed by police Officer Darren Wilson, Michael Brown’s body left in the street for four hours after his death. Following the incident was a national unrest and uproar, leaving racial tensions at high that was last seen to that extent from the death of Trayvon Martin, as investigations were lead and a grand jury was called. On November 24, 2014 the Grand Jury concluded that they would not indict Officer Wilson.
At the same time, a federal investigation was underway, resulting in the Department of Justice’s decision to clear Wilson of any civil rights violations on March 4, 2015 (Buchanan. ) The conclusion of both of these investigations saw the massive uprise of the slogan Black Lives Matter, which is “an effort to realize a change in the treatment of black people by authorities and to hold those that shoot unarmed black people without valid reasoning accountable” (Reichle).
In subtle opposition to the Black Lives Matter Slogan, arose the All Lives Matter Slogan, a blanket coverall statement that is meant for the inclusion of all humans. But despite the well intentions of the slogan, it does more harm than good, as it is wrong and ignorant, undermines the struggle of black people, and is passive aggressive racism toward the black community.
The slogan “All Lives Matter” a counter slogan to the phrase “Black Lives Matter” proposes and spreads harmful racism as it dismisses the purpose of the “Black Lives Matter” slogan. The point of the Black Lives Matter slogan is to emphasize that in the American Criminal Justice System and the American Government that a black person’s life is seen as unimportant compared to their white counterpart, this is seen as black americans are more likely to be arrested for minor crimes comp red to criminals who commit the same crime and are white.
Jesse Damiani, Series Editor of Best American Experimental Writing, says, “In other words, when you say “All Lives Matter,” you are perpetuating toxic racism and in fact causing harm. Because when you do, you’re making it harder for the rest of the country to bring about positive change. You’re broadcasting to others that change isn’t necessary when it very much is” (Damiani). Damiani states quite simply the issue of the All Lives Matter Slogan: it dismisses the focus on the Black Lives Matter slogan and why it was created in the first.
By dismissing the focus, it is a blatant and willing ignorance of the years of evidence – the brutal murders of black lives by police, the lack of conviction of the murderers of black lives, and the rampant amount of unreasonable sentences for minor and low crimes that are not seen in their white criminal counterparts. To deny and flat out refuse that these acts did not happen or were not unjust is an ideology that is spread by the counter slogan All Lives Matter. Not only does the counter slogan perpetuate the toxic racism but it is also a transparent reminder of white america’s lack of care for the black community and their lives.
The All Lives Matter slogan, while not only subtly promoting harmful thinking, its creators and promoters are also willfully and purposefully choosing to ignore the available facts and statistics that are rampant in the nation and its media. In today’s modern, news is always readily available almost as soon as it occurs, with this easy access news comes the wider spread of information to people as news outlets use social media such as twitter to broadcast their publications.
With this in mind, and the start of the All Lives Matter slogan which was born on the internet, the population of people without access to the media and news is significantly small compared to those who do, thus the people who participate in the spread of the All Lives Matter slogan are deliberately ignoring the Black Lives Matter movement and the evidence on which they are based on, to push a general statement that is supposedly unite people, but ctually separates individuals as it refuses to acknowledge the injustices against black america. According to a project, created by the news publisher The Guardian, two hundred and sixty three black people were killed by police in America in 2016. 15% of those two hundred and sixty three killed were unarmed during their altercation with the police that inevitably led to their death.
As of the end of 2015, 1146 american citizens were killed by police, 307 of those americans being of the black race, and 79 of those black americans killed did not possess any weapon (Swaine). Only 18 police officers were charged with on duty murder or manslaughter in the year 2015, with a total of zero of those charged actually being convicted (Ferner. ) Those who preach the All Lives Matter slogan, willfully ignore this kind of pressing data.
These numbers show that there are a disportionate amount of deaths caused by law enforcements data that has only been increasing in numbers in years since the Michael Brown case in August of 2014, moreso that the justice system gives a special pardon for cases that involve charges against police officers. With a good portion of these charges involving white on black murder in addition to these events being captured on the recently implemented body cams that is mandatory for police to wear, there is no discernible reason why the number of police officers actually convicted do not even come close to the amount that are charged.
When people state that All Lives Matter, they are forcing down the Black Lives Matter slogan which is to shed light on the major social injustices by publicizing these statistics, they are dismissing these statistics and their meanings and pushing the idea that the killings of black americans is nothing to be concerned about; successfully taking away the focus on black lives that should be included in their all lives matter stance. The Black Lives Matter Slogan is a modern way of protest that reminds america of its uncomfortable history with racism and the prevalent racism that is seen today.
The All Lives Matter slogan, which was created in direct opposition to the Black Lives Matter slogan as a coverall slogan. But the counter slogan, despite its well intentioned, does more harm than good as it implies that all races of america has faced injustices in the country’s history, which is wholly incorrect as the prolonged discrimination in america’s society is so ingrained that it has become systematic in several economic and governmental aspects. 53% of blacks report that they have experienced some type of discrimination in everyday situations – work, while shopping, or at restaurants/movies, seeking healthcare, or dealings with the police – in addition to one in five blacks stating that they’ve face unfair treatment from police specifically, all within the last thirty days.
More than 50% of black americans claim that they themselves or someone they know personally has been incarcerated, that percentage increasing among those who live in urban areas and those who are age 18 -34 (Aglesta). “Blacks overall are still more likely to be undereducated, unemployed and live in substandard housing compared to whites in America, according to a new report from the Economic Policy Institute” (Otis). The discrimination of black americans have been prevalent since their forced arrival to the americas by europeans.
From the centuries of slavery that plagued not only blacks but other persons of color, to the decades of segregation that saw a heavy prevalence in the South, to now – with the incredible amount of economic and social injustices against blacks, it is simple to see that all throughout America’s history, black people have faced hardships from the very country they helped build. The creation of the Black Lives Matter slogan is not only based off the modern struggle of black americans, but it encompasses the whole entire history of blacks in america.
The All Lives Matter argument, no matter how well intentioned it is, essentially states that there is no racism in today’s America, despite the recurring events of discrimination and the reports of injustices not only by black people but by hispanics, arabs, muslims. The All Lives Matter slogan attempts to say that all communities have faced equal injustices throughout history. This statement can not be said in good conscience in regards to the racism that is so ingrained in the nation and for so long that it systematically disadvantages blacks through the courts systems, education, and the funding/resources it needs to sustain itself.
Although the phrase ‘All Lives Matter’ may sound benign, it sometimes has been used as a rallying cry by some groups who oppose the Black Lives Matter Movement and seek to silence it” (Svrluga). The implications of the All Lives Matter slogan far outweigh than their preachers good intentions; the slogan perpetuating racism and speaks over the prevalent racial issues in America’s history and today. It is vital that people acknowledge and fight against the injustices of this world – protest by protest, boycott by boycott, and slogan by slogan.