All Lives Matter:  9 Reasons Why Saying It Is Damaging.

Author:  The Vox

     “Black Lives Matter” and “All Lives Matter”, while at first glance they seem similar, are fundamentally different. “Black Lives Matter,” according to Vox, is a misunderstood idea by those who reason with “All Lives Matter”. At the core, the movement doesn’t state that black lives are more important than, but rather they matter too, especially in a society that often doesn’t offer equality or all too often undervalues black lives in today’s society. The movement is not saying all lives don’t matter, but rather it is a cry for recognition and a plea for justice for black lives in a world where it doesn’t exist, but white privilege does. It is simply pointing out that black people's lives are relatively undervalued in the US- and more likely to be ended by police- and the country needs to recognize that inequity to bring it to an end (pg. 2). “All Lives Matter” emerged as a response to this movement but its core issue, although not seen on the surface, can inadvertently downplay the struggles of black individuals and racial inequality. 

    “Black Lives Matter,” unlike “All Lives Matter, “ provides the necessary spotlight to systemic racism, inequalities, and the need for a more equitable and just society. Unfortunately, “All Lives Matter” is essentially saying we should go back to ignoring the problem, and it will go away. How can we continue to ignore the problem? It only goes away for those whom it isn’t a problem. It is hard to ignore the statistics in the article Black and Brown Lives Matter: Cases of Police Killings and Assaults. It is hard to pretend that “Black Lives Matter” doesn’t matter and that the problem doesn’t exist until we face it and create change. To talk about the black lives matter movement while ignoring white privilege and ignoring the problem, as Vox showcased in the article, is to only address the symptoms without acknowledging the underlying festering disease. How can we continue to ignore the problem? Where to begin? It begins with me. 

Deconstructing Privilege: Teaching and Learning as Allies in the Classroom: 

"Colorblindness is the New Racism"  Raising Awareness about Privilege Using Color Insight.  

Author:   M.J. Armstrong and S.M. Wildman

(Click for article)

     “Colorblindness is the new racism” was a powerful read. As a white, female educator in our society, I am without a doubt afforded white privilege in many areas of my life. While reading this article, I was reminded of that! The authors poignantly convey the message that being blind to color or color blindness only perpetuates the “elephant in the room”. White people who have white privilege often aspire to colorblindness, believing it promotes equality (p. 66). This, however, only means people who experience white privilege fail to see the “white privilege” by continuing to ignore it and not engaging in topics about race. 

      As an educator, it is vitally important to teach about the importance of recognizing the “elephant in the room” and “color insight” instead of “colorblindness”. Of course, this is easier said than done. Color insight requires a committed effort not to sweep race under the rug but to rather name its presence and to examine its attributes from multiple perspectives, including the operation of privilege (p. 69). No magic wand is offered as a fix for systemic racism, white privilege, or color blindness. The wand can only offer a starting point for the conversation. The magic wand offers only a way to start the conversation rather than just to simply buying a bigger rug to sweep the problem under.

       As a white female teacher, I am keenly aware of my white privilege, especially in my school district. I believe part of this acknowledgement of white privilege was invigorated during my classes at RIC, especially those related to social justice. Just as the authors discuss racial observation exercises, the “Koosh” ball, and the powerline examples for teachers to use in class, I see it first starting with me. I was curious how I could infuse all of this into my curriculum, both in HS and preschool. I needed a start. While reading the article Teaching Privilege and Power, I was provided with the powerful insight of an elementary teacher who instilled social justice ideas into his elementary classroom and just how it worked for his community of learners. “All Lives Matter”, white privilege, and colorblindness are just a way of keeping the elephant in the room alive and buying a bigger rug to sweep the problems that we try to ignore underneath. How can we keep ignoring the problem? Again, I ask, where to begin? It begins with me.