“BLACK LIVES MATTER”, BUT DO THEY REALLY MATTER TO BLACK PEOPLE?
Within the last few years the phrase “BLACK LIVES MATTER” has not only become a movement, but also the mantra of the Black Community. The movement was sparked by the countless racially based murderes of Black people; including high profile cases such as Trayvon Martin, Mike Brown, and Sandra Bland.
Black community organizers Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi, first began the movement on social media in 2013 using the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter, in response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the murder case of Trayvon Martin. People of all races began to rally behind the hashtag phrase and began organizing protests against racial killings which garnered international media attention. The phrase “Black Lives Matter”, has now become synonymous with Black people’s continued struggle for value and equality in society.
So it may seem strange to even consider the question; “do black lives matter to black people?”; because the answer seems as though it should be obvious. However one of the biggest criticisms against the black community in general an especially in regards to black lives matter, is that when it comes to Black on Black killings black lives do not seem to matter to black people.
As a community black people are accused of being outraged when a black person is killed by a white person or law enforcement, which is usually regarded as racially motivated; but on the flip side of things blacks are said to not show the same outrage and public protest of black on black killings. Many think that black people seem to accept and even condone the killing of black people by black people, some going as far as to suggest that black people have a no snitching policy when it comes to black on black violence.
So going by these notions, one could infer that black lives seem to matter to black people only when its another race or group that is responsible for the killing, but black people accept black on black murder as if black lives dont matter.
Now myself personally, i disagree with these notions. I have witnessed with my own eyes the outrage the black community has had in regards to black on black killing. I have attended protest against the violence in the black community. I have seen, watched, and read about many instances where members of the black community have come together and demanded justice in regards to black on black murders. Many black people tirelessly work toward stopping the black on black violence and murder in our community. So in my humble opinion, in general Black Lives do matter to black people.
Now there is another aspect of this issue which needs addressing. The real question that one should ask is; do black lives matter to each and every black person? Clearly the answer is no, because if it did then there would be no such thing as black on black violence an murder, at least not to the degree that it currently is.
The reality is that some black people do not value their lives nor the lives of their fellow black people. In my studied opinion i believe this is a direct result of the continued traumatic effects of the legacy of slavery.
When black people were enslaved by Europeans an Arabs, black people were devalued, treated less than human, and black people were conditioned to hate themselves and feel unworthy. The psychological scars from this inhuman treatment are scars black people still continue to carry.
Critics like to dismiss the psychological damage of slavery by simply dismissing slavery as a thing of the past, an the majority of black people now living never lived through slavery. There is a huge flaw in that criticism.
First and foremost slavery lasted for over 500 years and its only been 150 years since slavery officially ended. Furthermore, while physical slavery ended black people still were oppressed tortured disenfranchised and marginalized by a system of institutionalized racism, which is still in place today.
We must also take into account the fact that the black family structure has been serverly hindered by a very racially hostile society. During and post slavery the black family was divided, which created a destructive cycle. Immoral behavior, negative entertainment, drugs, drinking and teenage sex have become the norms in our society. Which Intels help negatively influence and break apart the black family structure. Poverty also is a huge contributing factor in the breakdown of the black family dynamic
The fact is due to the continued effects of racism, poverty, and a fractured black family dynamic, some members of the black community simply do not love themselves nor value themselves or their fellow brothers and sisters, an this lack of love helps facilitate our violence and negative behavior toward one another.
The bottom line is…each and every black person should ask themselves…”DO black lives matter to ME all the time?!” Then each and every black person should make more of an effort to love themselves and love our people.
BY:Ra Da Griot
