Dear Aunty & Uncle: Let’s Talk About Black Lives Matter

Dear Aunty & Uncle,

Last time, we talked about Protests.

Now, some of you may be thinking “This is not right because all lives matter.”

And that’s true, every human’s life does matter, but today let’s talk about why we say BLACK LIVES MATTER.

Instead of reading what I have to say about how the phrase got started, please watch this video with the founders of the #BlackLivesMatter Movement (Start at 2:00):

As the founders explain, the phrase started after (1) a white man killed Trayvon Martin (an innocent, unarmed 17 year-old-black boy who was just walking home from the convenience store after buying some skittles and iced tea) and (2) that man walked free from the charges. Because they were all in pain after witnessing yet another person get away with killing an innocent black person, one of the founders posted this letter on social media:

Black People,
I Love You.
I Love Us.
We Matter.
Our Lives Matter.
Black Lives Matter.

And since then, that phrase has turned into an international human rights movement that fights against the violence and systemic racism black people face.

Why We Don’t Say All Lives Matter

They didn’t say All Lives Matter, because that’s a given. We shouldn’t have to discuss that, but it’s also not what the reality is. Of course all lives should matter, but the reality is that for many people, black lives have not mattered for a really long time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYIYZ1pYRzc

Here are some other graphics to help us understand why we say Black Lives Matter, instead of All Lives Matter:

We know that all cancer matters. But that event was created to raise awareness and funds for BREAST cancer. And supporting the event does not mean we’re saying that it’s more important than other cancers or health conditions.

We know that we need to take care of all the forests. But at this moment, the other forests aren’t in tremendous danger, while the rainforests are. So we need to focus our time and resources on saving those that are in danger.

@574whitegirl
This is how I feel and I’m sorry if you feel differently #notreallysorry #fyp #foryou #viral #knowledge #blm #blacklives
♬ original sound – 574whitegirl

So let’s take a moment to reflect on why we should stop arguing with people who say black lives matter. We know that your life matters, my life matters, South Asian people’s lives matter, white people’s lives matter–EVERY HUMAN’s life matters.

And some people we know are struggling. Some South Asian people face the consequences of racism. Some white people are unfairly dying. All of those lives matter. And we know that.

But, South Asians as a group or white people as a group are not suffering or dying collectively as a group because of the color of their skin.

But black people are. Their lives are in danger. Their communities don’t have our support. And we need to acknowledge that in order to change that.

Thank you again for giving us your time once again! I know we all want to live in a world where all of our lives matter, so let’s keep learning together to see how we can do just that! Tomorrow, we’ll talk about your concerns of “why should we even care about all of this” and the importance of Solidarity.💕