EXPLAINING "BLM"

Since the Black Lives Matter movement was created, it has been labeled many things. Some view it as inspiring, others as disgusting, and some just don’t understand it. If you’re pro­BLM , I’m sure you’ve had to try to explain it to multiple people in the last group.The origin of this organization can be dated back to July 13, 2013 in response to the murder of Trayvon Martin. It has now been over 3 years so why are so many people still confused? It feels that we are now extremely desperate for people to understand the movement, but why do we have to keep trying to convince those who truly don’t care?

At this point, the movement has been laid out as clearly as possible. It has been defended publicly on social media and even our television screens. Celebrities, news outlets, and politicians have all described why they support it and why you should too. Artists have even simplified it through cartoons, something even a child could understand. So how can there still be so many questions when the message is so clear?

Being an avid social media user, I’ve almost mastered the art of handling “trolls”. These accounts are specifically designed to find popular topics and automatically support the unpopular side. That’s where fake statistics about black­on­black crime or other common All Lives Matter arguments, come from. While I have utilized my block button there’s still many people falling into these traps. The more that we engage with trolls, the more that they get to spew unsupported statements out to the general public. This false information can lead people to choose the opposite side, thinking that they are justified. The intense clutter of evidence spread out by both BLM and ALM is what leads people to just stay completely uninvolved.

I’ve been fighting for Black Lives MAtter since 2013. This fight takes an incredible toll on both my heart and my mind. As an African American, these past three years have shown me how long my struggle will last. I’ve been forced to try to justify a movement that explains itself so clearly. Being told by a friend, coworker, or a stranger that your life actually doesn’t matter is incredibly hard. I’ve lost hours of sleep staying up and typing out arguments that only fall on deaf ears. Having to constantly define the BLM revolution has exhausted myself, and many others. Fighting while grieving has become an all too familiar habit, hurting our own mental health. Being asked, “What is Black Lives Matter?”, as you sit in a field of dead black bodies, is a feeling that is too painful to explain.

A lot has changed since 2013. The online presence of most individuals has increased, no matter the age. This means that there is virtually no excuse for anyone to remain uneducated in 2016. The vast majority of people who own personal electronics also own an online account. Yet, as stated earlier, this discussion is unavoidable, it goes outside the realms of Twitter and Facebook. It takes two seconds to type in Black Lives Matter, and the results you find will help sculpt your opinions and views in the long run. You have a responsibility in your world. Your actions and your voice affect the lives of our society. It definitely seems overwhelming from a distance but taking the time to research something so important, will open your eyes to important issues you avoided.

This article does not advocate for completely ignoring people’s questions. Instead for the benefit of both yourself and the other party, encourage them to do research for themselves. If they choose not to, the fact of the matter is that they don’t care enough about the black community. The Black Lives Matter movement can use all the help it can get but by truly understanding its basis, you can tap into a world you never knew existed.

#blacklivesmatter #BLM #blacklivesmatter