Alternate View: Misconceptions of BLM
There have been countless posts, tweets and articles online concerning the Black Lives Matter movement. Majority of these expressions spark daily debates between those who support the movement and those who are against it. Supporters of the BLM movement have spent an innumerable amount of hours defending BLM’s purpose and agenda, only to still be chastised and misjudged by those who insist “ALL lives matter” and cast negative labels on supporters. Many blame media for this misjudgment of character; with media portraying the BLM organization as a nation-wide, anti-white group who love to angrily protest, it is easy to see how that will lead onlookers to believe that is the truth. As unfortunate as that may be, media should not be our constant scapegoat for the misconception of BLM. In all honesty, there is a form of accountability that I believe is missing within the black community which contributes to this problem. Individually, we hold much more weight in the misconception of BLM than many may realize. Our one on one dealings with these types of people have the power to either solidify a stereotype or create a space for better understanding.
It’s 2017, a time when you’d think a multiethnic country would welcome cordial integration. However, some (non-blacks) go almost their entire lives never interacting with a black person on a personal level. The only direct communication they may have with us is while passing by in public places or within the comment section of blogs. Unfortunately, within those short-lived terms of engagement, there is not always room for deep discussions and when topics of race, police brutality and other legalities come about, it can be greeted with immediate animosity due to the topic at hand. Dealing with people who have no experience with black culture outside of what television shows them is a fragile ordeal that must be handled with care. Many times our efforts to defend BLM end up, somehow, confirming other stereotypes of being angry and confrontational. There is no way to change the way someone interprets your intention but it should be a common practice to stop approaching these topics with tools of sarcasm and dark humor. I’d like to encourage those who find themselves in these discussions to use patience. Instead of metaphorically beating people over the head with facts, statistics and history lessons, let’s ask clarity questions like, ‘Why do you believe that?’. This openness will invite the counter party to engage in conversation instead of fueling debate. The goal of BLM is to bring awareness of social injustice and unity within our communities. We cannot properly move forward if that message is not conveyed within our conversations. The only way to ultimately help eliminate the misconception of BLM is to model what BLM stands for in our daily interactions.
