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Closing-The-Divide

Drowning out the noise & Finding the true meaning.

Closing The Divide: Blog

400 Years

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400 years America

 

400 years America ,
For 400 years America, we’ve been playing this game of cat and mouse, and for 400 years America, you refuse to give us the keys to the house.
For 400 years America , we’ve been asking to be free, and for 400 years America , you sat there and you promised me, all the freedom I could ask for , for just a small fee

For 400 years America , we’ve been paying that small fee in sweat, tears and blood
For over 400 years America, we have witnessed the flood, from the storm clouds that burst in a black mother’s eyes. The Storm that rages in her heart as she cries. The Lightening that strikes her heart as she watches her son bleed as he dies.
For over  400 years America , we’ve had to watch our people bleed , for over 400 years America , you’ve literally scorched and scathered and destroyed our seed.

For over 400 years America our sons, daughters, fathers , mothers have bled and for over 400 years tear after tear was shed
The flags that represent you, makes you free . But the same flags that represent you, doesn’t represent me. The flag that represents words that say”all men are created equal” considered me an animal and there seemed to never be a sequel.

400 years later and still “no refuge can save, the hireling and slave from the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave” I am not blind, don’t need a stick or a stave, I am not foolish, I see the road that you have paved America!

For over 400 years, America, My brothers and sisters have fought for your pride
We carried your rifles, we lifted your flag and still you were snide
For over 400 years America, for you battles we’ve won
400 year later you still point your gun

It’s been 400 years America, Gotdammit I am not a slave
I want my rights and you will not tell me how to behave!
You’ve always had freedom white man, and you don’t know how bad I crave! that my kids grow up in freedom and for that I’ll be brave to the grave. Even if it kills me, I will not let the color of my skin decide whether or not I win. I will not you let, America, and your adulterous, heinous sin control me and the condition I am in

400 years later America, and you act like you still don’t know their names
400 years later America and you still plea ignorance, you don’t feel their pains
Emmit Till, Trayvon Martin, Freddie Gray
These are some of the lives from us you took away
400 years later and you still make us pay
and that’s not okay….
To you slavery was yesterday and we should shout free at last?
To you the last police shooting was last week, we shouldn’t riot,  it’s in the past, You want us white washed but we can’t shake the scars from centuries in a caste

Freedom isn’t free, but I still believe, I still believe that someday my eyes will see, all nations, all skin colors under one tree, connected to one vine, to the divine

 

 

Black Lives Vs All Lives.

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Hello and Welcome Curious Minds!

 

Today I thought I would talk about the divide between the Black Lives Matter movement and All Lives Matter. Since starting this website I have received a lot of hate and racism. It has been very difficult to digest but I feel as though this is all part of the process. It is part of the process because at the heart of the movements lies racism, racial discrimination etc. I know this because, if racism was not involved then we would not have the Black Lives Matter Movement. Without the BLM movement, we wouldn’t have people demanding All Lives Matter.

 

Black Lives Matter Movement

I have already created a blog post that details all of the information surrounding the BLM movement (which I will link here.) As a result of this, I am going to do a brief summary explaining what the BLM movement is.

The Black Lives Matter movement has been around for just over three years. It was created by three women (named bellow), after the death of Trayvon Martin. The movement was created as a call to action. They founded the movement to help protect black lives. It was created  after the numerous police shootings similar to that of Michael Brown in Ferguson.

As a movement that is tired of seeing the repetition of events, that contribute to the demise of black communities. BLM are looking to stand up for the rights of blacks. The movement acts by standing up against the injustice from police brutality to cultural appropriation, and everything in between. The movement is seeking that society acknowledges the worth and humanity of the black society.

All Lives Matter

 

Although the All Lives Matter is not exactly a movement, after the creation of the BLM movement by; Alicia Garza, Opal Tometi and Patrisse Cullors. The Black Lives Matter movement began gaining widespread attention. In turn people started using the #alllivesmatter as a response to the movement.

society does not consider black lives to fall beneath the umbrella of the “all lives” statement.

“All Lives Matter” is a phrase that people use in order to express that not just black lives are important. The miss communication between the Black Lives Matter movement and  All Lives Matter is that society already values white lives. Individuals who comment ‘all lives matter’ fail to realise or even acknowledge, that society does not consider black lives to fall beneath the “all lives” statement. If all lives truly mattered there would not be racism or discrimination on such a large scale.

Some commentators state; that they say “all lives matter” simply because they wish to stress that not just black lives are important. Despite the stress and emphasis, black lives matter supporters put when explaining that the movement is not about believing no other races matter.

 Social Media

Social media plays a large role in the BLM movement. In the 1960’s it took a lot of effort to broadcast or make know any urgent news to the rest of the world. In 2017 however, as a civil rights activist, there are several platforms at your leisure. With the numerous social media platforms from Vine, Instagram or Periscope for video posts. GroupMe which allows for direct conversations that are private and between whoever has access to that group. Least we forget twitter, although limiting in its amount of characters, twitter’s 140 characters enables users to create more of an impact, all the while allowing you to create a hashtag and become a trending topic.

#blacklivesmatter

Speaking of trending topics. The #blacklivesmatter became a trending topic on twitter in 2013. This was shortly after the acquittal of George Zimmerman, the man how shot and killed Trayvon Martin. (read blog post, Trayvon Martin)

Making a Change

There has been a pre-existing system over the past 400 years. This system has led to the point where supporters say “Black Lives Matter”. Supports chant this in order to set in motion a dismantling of that same system. Enabling the race to been truly seen as equal. This, however, is not achieved without the demise of the original system.

It can be very difficult to understand why people say “All Lives Matter” as an argument against the Black Lives Matter movement. However, a vast majority of those that support and argue “All Lives Matter” have not been subject to the past treatment that blacks have. As a consequence they spout such comments like “all lives matter, not just blacks” or some  say “black lives don’t matter, all lives matter.” Which in itself diminishes the meaning behind the all lives matter statement.