#BlackLivesMatter. #AllLivesMatter?

To get the pulse of any campus, I like to read the school paper.  It's interesting to note that though technology is taking over much of our lives, the weekly or even daily college school paper continues to be on, well, paper. Earlier this week I picked up the paper at the college that I'm attending for graduate school and work at part-time.  In it was a response editorial by the paper's editor about her consternation about last week's guest editorial about #blacklivesmatter. The editor was particularly upset about the idea that we in the present are responsible for the past. 

I quote the editor in full: "After reading the #BlackLivesMatter article I was annoyed and angered. The author was taking things that happened before we were even born and using them against everyone alive today.  There has been much oppression in our country's history.  When the Irish came over they were scrutinized and kicked out of buildings.  they were passed up on jobs and made fun of. Sound familiar? What about women? We may not have been enslaved but they were not allowed to vote or do much of anything the majority of their existence in this country.  It was only in the past 100 years that we began getting some rights.  These are the things that we cannot blame those around today.  On the subject of #BlackLivesMatter over #AllLivesMatter the reason that #AllLivesMatter is stronger is because it promotes unity.  It is not singling out anyone and is not leaving anyone out.  It is saying as a country all of us are Americans and all our lives matter.  Let's not continue to promote hate in the world but realize we all come from heritages that have been hurt, and together, we bring unity and support to our nation."

Although she makes some valid points, she fails to understand the history of our nation when it comes to race. The truth is that our racialized society is not history, it's now. Also it's disingenuous to say that the current generation shouldn't take responsibility for the past when we receive all the benefits from the past.  I think of my own family who only arrived in the US during the 1940s which is far from the days of slavery.  Yet there is no doubt that my family has benefited from the enslavement of Africans, the near-genocide of Native Americans and so on because we were able to immigrate, buy a home, get an education, etc.

Certainly from a literal sense me and my family are not responsible for past atrocities against others but it's recognizing that the past still very much affects the lives of individuals and groups. And, yes, #AllLivesMatter yet the stark truth is that being Black (and particularly male) don't seem to matter all that much in our nation as it stands. 

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