The Wayward Scholar

All lives matter is true, yes…but this statement ultimately reduces the Visibility and Representation of minority lives that are systematically besieged socially, politically and economically. The declaration of Black Lives Matter creates a voice and personifies the movement. All lives matter HOWEVER not all lives are created equal. All lives are not targeted by racism, sexism or misogyny. All lives aren’t being taken for being gender-queer or gender non-conforming, all lives are not being stolen by police brutality, an overwhelmingly prejudiced criminal justice system or staggering incarceration rates. All lives do not fall victim to poverty. All lives do not have to fight for voting rights, equal housing, fair education, marriage equality or literally representation and visibility. This All Lives Matter campaign is nothing more than an attempt to coddle the straight cis-gender white majority and make it permissible to evade accountability and responsibility for lack of reform. It’s not that I think some lives matter more than others. Though I believe that many lives lack the protections and privileges that a very specific population of lives are granted. Therefore, I do believe that this should be exclusively recognized. We must acknowledge our intersectionality and discuss the ramifications of our social positioning. I am standing firmly against All Lives Matter because I think that it is a cop-out to avoid making white people feel uncomfortable and to gloss around the topics of racial injustice and many other injustices that are indeed rooted in racial prejudice. We have already tried All Lives Matter with “all men created equal” and “We the People” which is already recognized that these statements do not include Women, People of Color, Immigrants, Gays, Lesbians, Intersex, Queers, Trans, People whom are Dis-able bodied, Religious minorities…etc. So please, let’s not pretend that the systemic injustice that has pursued over generations can be eliminated or has been rectified with a hashtag.