BLACK HISTORY MONTH
#ALLBLACKLIVESMATTER
WHAT IS BLACK HISTORY MONTH? Black History Month, also known as African-American History Month, is an annual observance for remembrance of important people and events in the history of the African diaspora. It is celebrated throughout the month of February. Black History is especially important because it recognizes the essential role that African American have played in the economical and social development of the United States. Not only would there not be multi-billion dollar companies whose start up traces back to the earnings of slavery, but there also wouldn't be any music genres to culturally appropriate and viral phenomenon's to be ruined by mainstream media, if it weren't for Black people.
#ALLBLACKLIVESMATTER
When we say ALL Black Lives Matter, we are expanding the conversation around state violence to include all of the ways in which Black people are intentionally left powerless at the hands of the state. We are also taking an agonistic self reflection in which we question do ALL black lives really matter? Or just the ones “we� deem acceptable. In order to achieve upward mobility , we must have gain a holistic love and respect for our brothers and sisters of marginalized communities, including the disabled, the LGBQIA community, undocumented immigrants and misogynoir within our community. We each have a responsibility to ignite and uplift our people, Black Lives Matter should not be conditional.
EXECUTIVE BOARD 2015-2016
Victoria Lewis…………………………………………………. President Tiffany Traille…………………...……..………………..Vice President Marcus Allen……………………..……………………………..Treasurer Amanda Harris………………….………..Educational Coordinator Khadijah Collins………………………...…….………………. Historian Legan Bayambo…………………………..Political Correspondent Mone’t Schultz………………………....Publications Coordinator Onyx Ramirez………………………………….……...Public Relations Christopher Rookwood………………..…………..……...Secretary
Kayla Anderson……………………....Social Cultural Coordinator Charlecia Chung…..…...Student Association Representative
LETTER OF APOLOGY As I lay here with blood in my mouth and my face to the ground, taking my last few breaths. I can't help but think "I'm sorry."
Sorry for being born in a cold and unforgiving world, because it just didn't matter. It didn't matter whether I was rich or poor; dunce or genius; abrasive or even polite. I would've ended up here anyway. So again "I'm sorry Mom and Dad" because this time when I got stopped, he lied and said it was because my taillights were out when I knew it was something else. Because when he asked me to step out of the vehicle I knew where this was headed and basically I just couldn't say "I'm sorry for being BLACK." -Brian Chambers-Graham
Our choice is deleted No voice, shots taken Mothers, daughters sons and fathers all murdered the same blood seeps on to concrete streets Cover it up through propaganda. taking measures to cover up their shame take away their rights, pin them to the ground. Insulting them with names. They say we have equal rights but listen close kids are being killed based on suspicious clothes
because they are standing in a weird way, hands in their pockets so you think the worse Maybe I am just trying to get warm enough is enough stop shaming the richness of skin, telling me I’m not enough I see it on all these news clips. making me seem like a beast because I am darker than your normal wave the truth is we both have red blood running through our veins
You need someone to blame for your mistakes and you choose the minorities Martin Luther King turning in his grave He would be ashamed of what's going on Tired of politicians, cops and leaders who make it seem like it's alright Fighting for our rights but don’t you see this shouldn’t be issue, Because we all the same Scared of going out because you might end up six feet underground Fighting for life but this shouldn’t even be a discussion We will march Because we aren’t staying silent, fight for our freedom, telling you it's gonna be different - Karen J Gonzalez
If all Black lives mattered, Black women around the country wouldn’t be told they are “diverting from the real issue” by Black men and white people when we bring up our experiences. If all Black lives mattered, this country would be worried about the amount of mentally ill Black people getting beat up and thrown in solitary confinement on a daily basis. If all Black lives mattered, then the over 64,000 missing Black girls in this country would be consid-ered just as big a crisis as the mass incarceration of Black men. Then we would stop using images of African children as poverty porn. Then Daniel Holtzclaw wouldn't have been shown crying over and over again after being found guilty of raping at least eighteen Black women. If all Black lives mattered, there wouldn’t be a genocide going on in Michigan. If all Black lives mattered, queer Black people would not be alienated from the ‘conscious’ communi-ty. If all Black lives mattered, people would care that young Black girls are now the fastest growing in-carcerated group of people in the U.S. They would care that President Obama deported more Black immigrants than any president to date. Then mass Haitian deportations wouldn’t be justified They wouldn’t bring up twerk videos when Black women say they want to be respected. They’d take trans Black people getting killed seriously. If all Black lives truly mattered, then Black men would be just as passionate about supporting our sis-ters as Black women have been for centuries. If all Black lives mattered, then white people would be organizing other white people to unite with us.
Then they would care about the over 2,000 Palestinians murdered in Gaza just as much as they care about 129 people killed in Paris. If all Black lives mattered, the number of jail cells being built would not depend on the test scores of second graders. If we mattered, we would be free. -Epiphany A Munoz
This is something that has to be dealt with When it comes to the movement black males tend to be selfish We expect the entire race to bear our burdens And to keep their issues and gripes behind closed curtains For instance, look at the way we view our women The ones who carry and birth our children We expect them to live up to our standards by any means Only then do they get respect and the title of queen They must be loyal, faithful, and at our beck and call And be silent for their rights, until we get ours The worst comes out of us when we speak on rape Claiming that the woman brought it upon themselves in some way Is our pride so fragile that this misogyny will keep denying? Or when the next rape accuser comes forward will just assume that “hoe” lying? Pardon the pun but there’s something else we must get straight And that is how we view the LGBTQIAA If a girl like girls, we see it as a fetish But if a dude like dudes, that shit needs to get deaded We’ll believe that the media promote images of Thugga Thugga and Kaitlyn Jen-ner As a hidden agenda to weaken our gender Instead of acknowledging people for who they are and letting love prevail We call dudes suspect and ridicule, just ask Odell My fellow black males the struggle is not exclusive Others in our race suffer abuses Stop being self centered and empathize with other people’s pain
Stop expecting your sisters to be quiet and stay in their lane Stop excluding the LGBTIAA because their lifestyles different Stop assuming that every facet of black life needs your permission Maybe then we can achieve miracles When we say Black Lives Matter it shouldn’t be conditional. -Anthony Pereira
All lives matter, all lives matter they cry As they watch my sweet, black, melanated brothers die Not realizing that such a statement is so falsified in today’s racist society Black lives matter, all black lives matter they claim But our social media and lives do not speak the same Our black women are subjected to the sexual appeal and aesthetic Although we defend and fight for our black race, The same appreciation is not afforded to us We hear of the men being killed, but very rarely do we listen to the accounts of black women being op-pressed
Very rarely are our daughters able to speak openly about their love for ratchetness Hardly can we ever be honest, without being an angry black woman We barely hear of the women and members of the LGBTQIA who are killed It is the BLACK men who matter most
It is the BLACK men who are included So the next time you see Black Lives Matter Just erase lives and insert men -Davina Campbell
The Black Lives Matter Movement was created to uplift, reaffirm and empower black life in the midst of the recent racial upheaval that has taken place in this nation. This polarizing yet monumental phrase encapsulates the purpose of all civil rights movements on the behalf of Black people nationally and internationally. Its creators sought to emphasize the simple truth that black lives matter, in spite of the systematic and institutionally racist system that black lives are oftentimes exploited, mistreated, neglected and discarded by. News and media coverage has captured the numerous stories of young black youths and adults alike, whose lives and humanity were stripped away by a system that automatically deemed them as an imminent threat. However, the close attention and massive coverage given to polarizing stories of horrific injustices committed against black men who fit into societal norms, is often denied to those who do not fit the mold of an average American citizen. The true importance of black male life in this nation cannot be over-emphasized. However the existence and humanity of black women, non-cisgender queer black people, transgender black people, gay, lesbian and bisexual black people, disabled, handicapped black people, mentally ill black people and all those who are a part of the African diaspora should be emphasized and championed. Those who do not fit into gender binaries or traditional stereotypes of what black life is should not be rendered invisible. We as a community have to accept and understand the intersectionality within the experiences of those who belong to many disenfranchised and marginalized groups. We must grasp how this association can leave say a young homeless transgender teenager more susceptible to unjustifiable state violence or brutalization from those in his or her community. Black people from all walks of life must be represented and supported, for we are not a mon-olithic group. Our complexities, varying cultures, experiences and lives should be celebrated and understood, in hopes of creating a more understanding and knowledgeable society that doesn’t view and portray black life through a limited and unmoving scope. The Black Lives Matter movement was created for everyone. It is a rallying cry for all who identify as Black or Afri-can American no matter what other groups and ideals they may adhere to. The work, advocacy and influence of the LGBTQIA+ community on the Black Lives Matter Movement is critical and undeniable. The Black communities presence and influence in gay rights movement is undeniable as seen in the Stonewall Movement among others. Alicia Garza, activist, writer, and cofounder of the Black Lives Matter movement, is a member of the LGBTQIA+ movement and openly identifies as a queer black women. However, she like many others stood up and began to advocate for the rights of All Black people, particularly after the murder of young Trayvon Martin, a black teenager who was unarmed at the time of his death. This advocacy is seen in many people who identify as LGBTQIA+ and black. Their contributions are critical to bridging gaps of understanding between the two communities as well as garnering more widespread support for important issues concerning both groups. Many other notable black and gay activist like the greats James Baldwin and Marlon Riggs, documented and shaped the way that the African American and black gay experience was understood and depicted. They both earnestly advocated for both the black and gay community, shamelessly standing in their truth, while promoting and advocating for all of us. An acknowledgement of privilege within the black community must be realized. We are all mostly aware of white privilege and the way in which it influences our lives and experiences, however we must take the time to understand male privilege and how it works for black men and against black women. Black men obviously have a target on their backs as seen from the staggering number of shootings and deaths of unarmed black male. However, we must also acknowledge the privilege that black men have in a patriarchal society. The privilege of straight black persons must also be addressed and called out upon, especially when understanding how black people are sometimes marginalized in the greater gay community. The privilege of being cis-gender and gender conforming must also be understood, as we remember the numerous tragedies of black transgender lives being taken by obscenely violent acts against them. Privilege is oftentimes invisible to those who possess it. Opal Tometi, activist and cofounder of Black Lives Matter states that, “If their (black women, queer black women, transgender, gender non- conforming) lives don’t matter, none of our lives will matter” in an interview with Vice when dis-cussing the BLM Movement. We cannot be like some of our white counterparts who are ignorant to their individual privileges in society. Showing love, support and understanding for the struggles of all within our community is key. The support that is given to all of the black community by those in the community who are further marginalized by racialized sexism, homophobia, transphobia and ableism should be reciprocated by the larger black community.
Stating that black lives matter while devaluing and ignoring the lives and experiences of those who are a part of the LGBTQIA+ community, or those who identify as disabled and mentally ill is effectually the same as white supremacist claiming that All Lives Matter while rendering black life as invisible. There is a great trend of heteronormativity and whiteness being the default when addressing people. In spite of the large array of shades, colors, creeds and sexualities only one limited scope of what a person is supposed to be is displayed and acknowledged by the media. This trend is reinforced by media that is often white washed and sexist, only celebrating heterosexual love, only acknowledging abled bodied persons and leaving the stories of the mentally disabled and mentally ill untold. We as black people cannot uphold these standards. These standards do not serve our people. The media so often times leaves out the voices and faces of black people and people of color at large. When we are actually included in television and media we are often stereotypes, onedimensional characters or even fetishized. There is obviously more power in numbers, and we cannot as community disband or not show support for one another over sexuality or gender expression, because the bottom line is that we are all black. Through a racist or prejudiced person’s eyes, we are all one in the same. We must learn to stand together. Trying to pander to people who see us as onedimensional and don’t even consider our many differences is futile. We cannot support or take part in the shaming of marginalized people within our community. We must set aside our differences and personal beliefs if necessary in order to advocate for all who are targeted harshly by the system in which we live in. All Black Lives Matter. The true weight and meaning of that statement will one day be realized only if we support one another wholeheartedly. Justice and equality means nothing if it cannot be achieved for all. Ignorance is bliss, yet for those who are painfully aware of their oppression, ignorance allows for oppression and mistreatment to perpetuate, and leaves the cries of those brave enough to speak up against their oppression unanswered. Much is to be learned from the civil rights movements of the past. Gandhi and Martin Luther King’s peaceful resistance spurred monumental changes in their respective nations and across the world. A key aspect of these movements was allegiance. Allied forces fighting for both individual rights and on behalf of others are necessary in enacting lasting and powerful change. So in the same way that Black women have rallied in support of black men, black men must support the black women matter movement. The black community should show support towards the LGBTQIA+ movements, and demand justice for those in the transgender community of color who have been targeted, in the same way that LGBTQIA+ persons have marched alongside cis gender and straight black people. Those from economically advantaged backgrounds must understand the hold that cyclical poverty has on the black poor of this nation and promote advocacy in their behalf. The affect that mental illness and disability has on our greater community that has historically faced great trauma and tragedy must be accepted and handled accordingly. We as a community are com-prised of multi-faceted and complex individuals whose needs must be met. The sooner the rest of the nation and world realiz-es our complexities and true humanity the better -Liana Taylor