Black Lives Matter

© martin meissner

The movement that changed history

by Katarzyna ciszewska

Last year the whole world experienced the anger, passion and determination for the ongoing police brutality targeting mostly black people. The Black Lives Matter protests started on 26th of May in the United States and continued up until September gathering people from all over the world.. What pushed people to their limits was a deadly attack on a 46-years old African-American man, George Floyd. The protests without a doubt marked a huge historical event. The unification from people all over the world no matter their race was truly remarkable.

How to use your white privilege

What a lot of white people don’t necessarily realise is how lucky they are to be white in certain situations. We can’t even imagine what it’s like to have others see us as suspicious or dangerous simply because of the color of our skin. We don’t have to teach our children how to stay alive if they’re ever confronted by the police. This already counts as a white privilege. In no way does it mean that white people don’t struggle with their lives, but it means that the color of our skin doesn’t make it harder.

During the protests, many videos were circulating over the internet where white people were guarding the black protesters with their bodies which made police less aggressive or even stopped them from doing anything at all.

“White privilege was granted to us at birth. It allows us to believe that because we have grown up in the same country, we all have had the same chances and have the same consequences for our choices.”

This privilege was granted to us at birth. It allows us to believe that because we have grown up in the same country, we all have had the same chances and have the same consequences for our choices. It allows us to think that we’re all “the same,” without acknowledging that the color of one’s skin actually makes a huge difference in how a person experiences the world and how that person is treated. It’s difficult to say if we could end the white privilege but what we, white people, can do is LISTEN. Listen to the people of color when they’re talking about their struggles. We could never experience the same difficulties as them. It’s important to name your own privilege and use your position or platform to educate people. SPEAK UP AND SPEAK OUT.

Black Trans Lives Matter

In 2019, the American Medical Association classified violence against the transgender community in the U.S. as an epidemic. 2020 was said to be the deadliest year on record for the transgender community, especially for Black trans women. The year 2020 had seen at least 44 transgender or gender non-conforming people fatally shot or killed by other violent means, the majority of which were Black and Latinx transgender women. According to the Human Rights Campaign, that was the deadliest year for transgender people on record since they began tracking deaths in 2013. So, needless to say Black Trans Lives might be the most oppressed group, as it’s targeted through not only racism but also homophobia and transphobia. What the activists are fighting for is more inclusion of black LGBTQ+ community in the movement. One of black trans-women activists, Sherry, said that black lives will never matter if you don’t include Black trans lives. It is very hypocritical to turn a blind eye when Black trans women are experiencing the same violence.

Do “all lives matter”?

Why is it offensive to say “all lives matter”? Imagine a situation. Someone you know just broke their ankle, obviously you’re going to take care of this person . Now imagine another person whose ankle is perfectly fine. This person gets angry at you for not taking care of their ankle. “My ankle also matters, so why don’t you pay attention to me?” the person says. Well, of course it matters but it doesn’t need any help right now, does it?

“It’s crucial to talk about uncomfortable topics and try to educate yourself and others around you. Education and resources are the key to a change”.

That’s basically the same as when white people say “all lives matter”. This slogan was born out of “black lives matter”, which is a response to racism and violence against black people. People will argue that “all lives are equal”, as we are all human beings. However, Black Lives Matters was not created to put black people higher in a made up hierarchy. It was to place them as equal to white people. We live in a world where black people are constantly marginalised, discriminated and stigmatised. So using that phrase takes aways the conversations about racism, as it seems to be dismissing and ignoring the problem.

“ Black Lives Matter” is a call for protections and recognition.

© Ira l. Black—corbis via Getty Images

The differences in police responde How do we know that we still have a long way to go in terms of racial equality?

The most recent event, the assault and vandalism of the Capitol. The difference in police response is frightening. Comparing what was happening during the summer protests and how aggressive and heartless the police was towards the protesters there’s no doubt that if the Capitol attackers were black they would have been treated way differently. But as they were mostly white conservative men it seemed as they were almost invited inside with extremely limited security. The main difference between these two events is that Black Lives Matters protests were trying to be peaceful movements but the attack on the Capitol didn’t even pretend to be the same. When black people protest for their lives, they are too often met by National Guard troops or police equipped with assault rifles, shields, tear gas and helmets. If the Capitol protesters were Black, they would most probably have been tear gassed, battered and perhaps even shot. For example last June, members of the DC National Guard were armed and wearing camouflage uniforms while standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, as crowds of people held a peaceful protest. However during the attack on the Capitol rioters had already made it inside the building before the DC National Guard was deployed.

© Frank augstein

How to support the movement

Unfortunately the fight against racism and police brutality is not finished and there’s still a lot of work to be done. One of the ways to support people of color is to offer financial assistance to those who have been impacted by the violence as well as those who have been arrested for taking a stand. There’s a National Bail Fund Network where you can make a donation to utilize bail. It’s also important to support Black-owned businesses. Especially small local businesses during the lockdown. However, you don’t have to spend money in order to show your support. Social media gives opportunity to use your voice to show solidarity and bring awareness to important issues. It’s crucial to talk about uncomfortable topics and try to educate yourself and others around you. Education and resources are the key to a change. We should keep listening and learning as there will always be new things we can do to help.

© markus Schreiber