An excerpt from Readers' Digest -
How to Respond When Someone Says “All Lives Matter”
By Lorna Grisby
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| DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/GETTY IMAGES |
There is actually a productive, positive way to counter this statement that can help promote understanding and combat racism.
Conversations about race are difficult even in the best of times. But over this past contentious year, Americans—both White and BIPOC—have argued over different perspectives on race relations, including whether Critical Race Theory should be taught in schools, how prevalent institutional racism actually is, whether there can be voting-rights restrictions, and the idea of police reform. But few issues are more polarizing than the language people use in their conversations about how to stop racism or whether racism even exists. That’s why you’ve probably heard the slogan “Black Lives Matter” countered with the phrase “All Lives Matter.”
But that response is not only insensitive—it is also completely off-point and lacks historical context, explains David W. Campt, PhD, an expert in cultural competence and the founder of The Dialogue Company. “Of course all lives matter,” he explains. “The reason that I say Black Lives Matter is because, historically, the sad fact is that all lives haven’t mattered equally. That is why I and others are pointing out that Black lives matter also.”
For further context, look at the founding of this country, says Matthew Harper, PhD, an associate professor of History and Africana Studies at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. The Declaration of Independence may have had some lofty ideals of all men being created equal, he notes, but it was written by a man who enslaved 200 Black people. And many constitutional amendments applied only to White people for a very long time. That’s why Harper suggests affirming the statement that all lives do matter and then following up with: “I’m OK with you saying that if it’s not being used to avoid saying Black Lives Matter. Let’s say All Lives Matter and Black Lives Matter.'”
That’s just one of the many comments you may hear and want to respond to in an appropriate and productive way. Here’s how to have calm, productive exchanges, according to our experts. You might also want to listen to these podcasts about race for more tips and a greater understanding of the impact of Black Lives Matter.
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