A CRITIQUE OF THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT

THE BEST WAY TO SOLVE A PROBLEM IS TO START BY UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE PROBLEM IS

Let me start by saying, that if the Black Lives Matter’s movement is truly well intentioned and if they care about more than just the treatment of blacks by the police then they need to push for unification to support a joint effort for political action. The group is divided by members who don’t trust politics, but they can learn a lot from the NRA. They (the NRA) have effectively blocked legislation and supported their initiatives for decades with fewer resources than people realize. They are an effective group because of how quickly they can mobilize and stay up to date on legislation that affects their goals (through their website that provides updates to its followers). And they will call the offices of political officials in regards to pending bills. They have an advantage as there is simplicity in their approach. They simply say ‘no’ to anything that affects their current freedoms in regards to the use/sale of guns. But the BLM should target specific legislation over periods of time and provide updates to its members to take action and support/block policies that negatively affect black communities. The NRA has about 5 million members, while I couldn’t find membership data for the BLM (they are a relatively decentralized movement that started as a hashtag by 3 women after Trayvon Martin), there are numerous organizations that are associated with and have similar goals to the BLM. The NAR (National Association of Realtors) spends more money per year than the NRA does on lobbying. The NRA spent $3 million per year in 2013 and 2014. And they spent almost $1 million on campaign lobbying in 2014.While this sounds like a lot of money, you have to take into account that philanthropists like George Soros and celebrities have shown financial support to movements that fall under the BLM umbrella. There is even a rumor swirling that Soros gave $33 million to the BLM, although being decentralized makes that impossible to confirm. However, the point is, if the movement finds a center and a specific direction with focused political aspirations, they can positively influence black communities as opposed to risking a greater racial divide in this country through protests and a varied message.

‘In my opinion it is a much needed movement, but I cannot agree with the current direction that it’s headed in.’

The Black Lives Matter movement is stated to be: “an ideological and political intervention in a world where Black lives are systematically and intentionally targeted for demise.” So it’s not about favoring black people over other races, it’s about how far behind the black community has fallen and the lack of value that people (black people included) see in African Americans. In my opinion it is a much needed movement, but I cannot agree with the current direction that it’s headed in. Abraham Lincoln led the charge to unifying the United States and freeing black slaves, Martin Luther King brought about our political equality and equal social rights. Now the time has come for a peaceful movement to provide equal justice, greater self-worth and the reduction of negative stereotypes in the black community. While some will point to numbers showing that more Caucasians are killed by police than African Americans (data compiled by the Washington post: 50% of shooting deaths by police were white, 26% were black). These numbers fail to take into account that as a minority, ratios will tell the story more than total numbers (62% of the population is white, 13% is black). You are 3x more likely to be shot by the police if you are black and you are more likely to be incarcerated for a criminal offense. The numbers from the Washington Post also pointed to a 7:1 ratio of unarmed black men vs unarmed white men being shot by police (although not all cases were cut and dry).

“The reason many police officers will judge or stereotype African Americans may not be inherent racism, but it may simply be due to the fact that they have encountered a high volume of African American criminals.”

The movement the community needs right now needs to provide internal as well as external reform. While a case can and should be made for how black people are viewed by others and the police, you can’t ignore how much of this is self-inflicted. The way urban culture leads African Americans to dress is closely associated with the gang violence, illegal activity and the tough street persona that is promoted by entertainment artists and is generally believed to be necessary by young black men and women to survive in the environments they grow up in. Also, even though African Americans are a minority group, they account for a disproportionate percentage of the crime in the 75 biggest counties in the country according to the Washington Post. The reason many police officers will judge or stereotype African Americans may not be inherent racism, but it may simply be due to the fact that they have encountered a high volume of African American criminals. In 2013, 37% of cop killers were black, which is a high number when you consider that they are a minority population (study done by the journal of Violence and Gender).

So while some will point to this and say ‘ah-ha’ this is the problem…they fail to realize just how complex the problem truly is. Many African American youths grow up in an environment that leads them to think and act a certain way because it’s all they know thanks to the political decisions that were made to cause them to be zoned in communities filled with poverty and little opportunity. So even with the affirmative action opportunities available that many people think creates an unfair advantage; they must keep in mind that the current cultural climate in the African American community doesn’t provide enough candidates to truly make these opportunities unfair in comparison to the Caucasian population. Its one giant vicious cycle: Black lives being devalued leads to living conditions that cause many black people to fulfill stereotypes that lead to their demise.

So again, I agree with the basic premise behind the Black Lives Matters movement. I also want to believe that they are a peaceful and well intentioned movement. However, I strongly disagree with the execution. I can’t repeat myself enough; the black community today requires simultaneous internal as well as external reform. There is a common cliché when giving advice to young woman who is routinely mistreated by men: ‘You must first respect yourself before you can expect others to have respect for you’. And yet the only time marches happen is in response to a police officer claiming the life of an African American. If peace is truly the goal, we should march for the lives of police officers and black men who have their lives taken by police officers. According to a study done by the journal of Violence and Gender, cop killings are on the rise. From 2013 to 2014 1.5X more police officers were intentionally killed. Some members of the movement are beginning to include police in their functions which will hopefully be the first step towards this.

‘Now when a peaceful protest occurs, the police officers that they hope to gain respect from will only fear for their safety and seek out the wolf hiding among the sheep.’

Due to the inability of the movement to recognize the violence and racial divide it’s causing, an ignorant and violent portion of the population is rising along with the movement to commit violence against police. Since the movement has become highly one track minded on the surface (emphasis on the surface, as the movement has stated and attempts to be more than just focused on police violence against African Americans) failure to show support and reinforcement for good police officers will only lead them further away from their goal. Now when a peaceful protest occurs, the police officers that they hope to gain respect from will only fear for their safety and seek out the wolf hiding among the sheep (or the violent participants masquerading as members of a peaceful protest).

If the movement is looking for a group to be angry with, they should look in the direction of every black celebrity/athlete. Or anyone who makes millions from entertainment because African American business owners, politicians, lawyers, doctors, police officers etc. are doing their part to move the black community forward based on their professions alone. However, entertainers play the largest role in how black people are perceived and they receive millions of dollars from the urban community in exchange for entertainment that influences the way they look at themselves and the way they act. Imagine if all these black entertainers were to pour millions into providing opportunities, educating youths and improving the environment that other African Americans grow up in.

So I believe that a movement that leads the black community to take another step forward is necessary, and while the BLM has potential, their lack of a center and inability to target change in order of importance currently hold them back in my opinion.