As 2015 comes to a close, we as a county have witnessed the countless killings of unarmed black men, women, and children. Time after time we have seen the police, who claim to be peacekeepers, commit these disgusting acts get off free, only to affirm that black bodies in America are unimportant. With that being said, I ask whose lives really count as lives? In the wake of all the violence against the Black community in America, Blacks have used social media particularly Twitter, as their weapon with such hash tags as #blacklivesmatter, #Icantbreathe, and #handsupdontshoot. Now there is a new social media hashtag trending that is apparently for “all,” and its #alllivesmatter. From the outside the hashtag resembles a Utopian way of living, but unpack, it’s much more. You can see how the hashtag is used to proclaim “equality.”
Black, Brown, White.. We are all one! #AllLivesMatter #ShiningALight
— Noman Farooqi (@fnoman) November 21, 2015
#BlackLivesMatter would be more effective if they engaged #AllLivesMatter which actually preaches equality.
— Ross (@Censurer8) November 21, 2015
#AllLivesMatter black, white, yellow, brown, red we are all in this together! Take that #blacklivesmatter! I am not afraid of you!!
— Troy White (@DrTWhite) November 20, 2015
It’s not that hashtag isn’t true. It’s just not serving a positive purpose, but instead wiping away an actual issue that is going on in America. The hashtag is pushing this idea that black people simply don’t matter. Supporters seem to believe that this hashtag is necessary because they feel that “Black Lives Matter” movement is fueling prejudice views, because they are advocating for themselves.
The fact that #AllLivesMatter only appears to discredit #BlackLivesMatter shows the lengths many will go to not "see" black people as people
— No Relation (@TheCosby) November 24, 2015
The #blacklivesmatter hashtag has become a movement that is wrapped deeply in ethos. The #alllivesmatter hashtag is only fueling this race-blind approach, which just isn’t possible. The lives of these men and women need to be understood, and not generalized under this umbrella of “All Lives.” On the opposition many supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement, have used the #alllivesmatter as another way to combat the movement and to educate the supporters of it.
Let that sink in…. #BlackLivesMatter #AllLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/hj5Dm83mQp
— Cassandra Johnson PR (@Johnson_Cassie) November 30, 2015
#AllLivesMatter is not a movement. But a derailment strategy.
— Khaled Bey (@KhaledBeydoun) November 30, 2015
ya'll are so quick to silence black ppl with #AllLivesMatter but then make excuses for white terrorists killing innocent ppl
— Franchesca Ramsey (@chescaleigh) November 28, 2015
Historically Black people have not yet bet included in the conversation of “All Lives.” The All Lives Matter” movement “surprisingly” only seem to come about when black bodies go down and their voices began to be heard.
And where are all the #BlueLivesMatter & #AllLivesMatter folks? They're silent re: #PlannedParenthood shootings. https://t.co/J8AS9Fpm53
— deray mckesson (@deray) November 28, 2015
It creates racial injustice and prejudice, when you claim that only a particular races lives matter, #AllLivesMatter
— Will Bradt (@WHB_1) November 21, 2015
Obtaining this Utopian of “All Lives Matter” is clearly a struggle our society is dealing with, and what is happening day after day is a testament to this.
Pad, this is a very important piece. We as a society today are too willing to try to attempt to silence movements that we cannot fully understand. I am not a person of color so I cannot imagine how it feels to see this portrayed on the national stage. But I am curious as to how much the media has played a role in perpetuating the stories around #alllivesmatter.
Really liked this blog post because it gave a clear, unbiased argument on both sides of the #AllLivesMatter debate. Talking about race is always a touchy subject, and its easy to have messages be misconstrued over social media. Its hard to tell which posts are using #AllLivesMatter as a way to promote equality vs those who are using it as dig at #AllLivesMatter. That’s why it’s so important make you messages as clear as possible when discussing controversial and potentially offensive issues on social media.
Thanks for this post Pad, you hit on many great points. The #alllivesmatters posts are a detraction from the momentum that the #BlackLivesMatter has created it seems like. If people really care about black lives they would band with the movement and use the proper hashtag as to not create meaningless noise on social medias. Plus you’re completely right, opposition for the #BLM movement used the #alllivesmatter hashtag to post their opinions, thus further pulling away from the impact the real movement has had.
I think this was a great hashtag to explore and analyze, and I think it is important that you did so. Too many people believe using the hashtag #alllivesmatter is a helpful strategy in promoting all racial equality, as a few of your tweets exemplify. However, it is clear that taking a hashtag that is rooted in a lot of heartbreak and sensitivity for black Americans all over the country and altering is ultimately steering away from the issue at hand. It seems that a lot of people have taken to Twitter to express their grievances, and I think you did a good job in showcasing those tweets. I think they all flowed nicely together, and that they helped prove the point you are trying to stress.
This is a great summary of the debate surrounding #AllLivesMatter, which is so prominent in our society, and particularly social media, right now. You did a really nice job handling the topic and discussing both sides of the argument. It is interesting to see both sides of the tweets using the hashtag, and you did a good job showing the opinions and feelings tied to the hashtag overall. It is very important that we understand the #BlackLivesMatter movement, as well as the implications of #AllLivesMatter in our society, so this post is very relevant right now.
I really enjoyed this post. The #alllivesmatter hashtag is a problem and it frustrates me how people continue to justify that it’s okay. I think that the people who use that hashtag do not truly understand the purpose and goals of the Black Lives Matter movement and hashtag. I think the picture you included that juxtaposed the situations of David Sweat and Michael Browns mothers really sums up the issue. You did an amazing job with this post and talking about this issue.