Black Lives Matter: Why is it Still a Debate?

In 2020, should such debates still exist? Are points made by the opposing side even valid? Is there hope for change?

BY: PAYAL DASS

Photo by Josh Olalde via Unsplash

In Minneapolis on May 25, an African-American man, handcuffed with an officer kneeling on his neck for 8:46 minutes, lost his life. He is now a common figure used to promote awareness around the systemic racism embedded in the workings of the American judiciary. His name is George Floyd.

To most people, the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement is a noble cause that rightfully expresses the shortcomings of law enforcement and the reckless behaviours of those who wear blue uniforms. Since 2013, this movement has been addressing events of racial discrimination against the Black community that occurred in the past, as well as the oppression that continues to happen on a day-to-day basis. The BLM movement is recognized for being one of the largest movements in recent history, as well as being a movement that addresses the faults, prejudice, implicit bias, and discrimination demonstrated by those in law enforcement, and the law itself. This movement often leads to many open debates and discussions about the flaws in our societies.

But why do hashtags such as #AllLivesMatter and #BlueLivesMatter still trend on Twitter despite there being so much awareness surrounding the cause? Why is ending racism even a debate? 

Like any other discussion, there is more than one side. In this case, one side thinks the movement is necessary and should be encouraged. The other side—also the minority opinion—states that the movement is unnecessary and that such discrimination has ended, or is no longer evident in today’s society. Many of us cannot understand how one agrees with the minority opinion, especially in a social climate like today where education on anything is available at our fingertips.

Photo via chnge

By interviewing a former colleague who also supported the minority opinion, I aimed to figure out where this opinion comes from, and, if it could be changed. Can being more informed from an opposing perspective change the way we think?

This interview was conducted over a phone call, with a White male who is a post-secondary student—this detail was mentioned as it has correlation to the results—who does not consider himself to be racist at all, but does not think the extremity of the movement is necessary. Wanting to keep his identity hidden, he will be addressed as Bob.

What does it feel like to oppress minorities while you are part of the most privileged population in the world?

After letting out a deep sigh, he explained that recently, a lot of people have been calling him a ‘colonizer’ and that he shouldn’t complain about all the struggles in his life because he is White and male—the two most privileged groups in the world.

“It’s not my fault that I was born White. It’s not my fault that I was born a guy. I didn’t choose to be. I shouldn’t be judged on the actions my ancestors made. I know what they did was bad but I, myself, have done nothing wrong. I think people need to give me a chance, let me live without making me feel like I am guilty. I would like people to stop acting like I was the one who colonized so many countries. I honestly don’t think I oppress anyone.” 

Do you support the BLM Movement? Why or why not?

“I support the movement to an extent. I just think it has become a bit excessive these days. The rioting seems unnecessary, the officers involved in George Floyd’s case have been charged, and I believe justice for the poor man has been served. The looting of stores seemed extreme to me. What did those poor stores and business owners ever do to you? Everyone is now aware of the issues of discrimination by law enforcement, I think the point has been made, and people can relax for a bit and take a break. I think there’s just too much stuff around me that talks about it, and it’s overwhelming, and I guess, repetitive. I get tired of always hearing about it.”

Do you think your White privilege influences the way you think?

“I honestly don’t think my White identity has anything to do with my opinion on the movement. I don’t think my race has any impact on the way I think, or at least, not consciously. It’s not like I don’t support the movement at all, but I just think it’s excessive.” 

“I mean, there is the concept of implicit bias so maybe if there is any prejudice in me, it’s because of that. If I do have anything against the movement, maybe it’s because I’m White. I’ve never really thought about it like that before...I’m not quite sure how I feel about it. Maybe I am comfortable with where I am in society. Nonetheless, I still stick by the opinion of using better methods to spread change.”

What are ‘better methods?’

“I think signing and spreading petitions about laws and verdicts of such cases would be a better option. Or, they could also hire some lawyers or something to challenge the verdict of certain cases—I don’t really know how the law system works. At least this way people won’t see the protest as a chance to cause problems in the city. I also know that protesting is a right we all have, but sometimes it seems like the most unnecessary and worthless thing to do. Everyone is protesting about a lot of things these days, but nothing ever gets done. It’s rare to see protesting make a difference.”

Don’t you think that the fact you’re not speaking up against injustice, you’re allowing it to continue?

“I believe that law enforcement and the justice system will not settle for anything but justice. I have faith in the law system, so I don’t think I have much influence on what happens regarding the whole situation anyway. I don’t think that letting trials and investigations take place is allowing injustice to continue. I don’t see what me speaking up would benefit anyone in this entire situation, and why it’s bad for me to just let the system do its job.”

Do you think the BLM takes attention away from other important issues?

He was immediate to jump on the fact that no one was discussing ways to tackle and control the Coronavirus, addressing issues such as “unemployment, poverty, and lack of resources.” 

It didn’t even take him a second to think about something apart from the movement that he thought was worth fighting for. This took me by surprise because this shows that he has previously thought about the importance of everything going on in the world right now. It showed me the degree of importance he really had for the BLM Movement—less than I had expected.

“I think these issues are more important to discuss at the moment, as everyone has been suffering throughout this pandemic. The numbers are only increasing, and it’s getting out of control. I think America has been hit the hardest, they have the highest number of cases, and maybe the assembly of all these people at the protests made it worse. The assembly of people at protests are not that different from the parties people throw, except the public condemning the people who throw parties, and applaud those who march on the streets.”

Photo via feminist

Do you think the U.S. American and/or Canadian law systems have been based on prejudice and discrimination against the Black population?

He stated the laws are not discriminatory in and of themselves. He does not see evident discrimination against the Black community, but acknowledges that people could have their own, individual, prejudices. He further went on to say that if he had to choose a population in Canada that has faced the most discrimination from the government, it would not be the Black population.

“The population that is most discriminated by the government are the Indigenous people. Look at history. The instances of residential schools, missing Indigenous women, and the amount of Indigenous children in the foster care system are just some examples. But never has anyone protested so passionately for their issues. The movement seems selective, more like a trend. You know, it's like these ‘advocates’ think ‘since these issues are more publicised, everyone’s posting about it, I’m going to march for them.’”

What do you think about the ways officers handle confrontation with Black citizens?

“I think, in the recent events that have fueled the Black Lives movement this year, the police need to seriously reevaluate the way they handle these situations. Some instances feel like they don’t think before pulling a trigger. They’re supposed to be trained for handling stressful situations. I also think from a cop’s perspective sometimes. If I feel genuinely threatened that someone might kill me, I might kill them first in self-defence. We never really know what was going on in their heads before pulling the trigger or tasing someone. Kneeling on someone’s neck though, that’s not right.”

Do you think your political values influence the way you think about this topic?

“I admit that my values could be considered conservative, but I don’t think these values impact my way of thinking. Usually, when I say I don’t get the BLM movement, people assume I’m a [President Donald] Trump supporter. I hate Trump. That’s a strong word to use, but I can’t help it. I think he did a terrible job in handling the entire situation. What kind of President tweets “when the looting starts, the shooting starts?” Conservatives just don’t appreciate too much change. I don’t appreciate much change, I just don’t think our system is as flawed as people say it is. And, I have no problems with people of other races, most of my friends are from minority groups. I don’t think my political values have much influence on the way I think at all.”

Photo via chnge

He further explains that he views the movement as the outrage linked to the recklessness of police behaviour towards the Black community. He also states that a huge part of the movement seems to be the fact that those who cause harm to the community are often set free with no criminal charges. To him, that is all the movement stands for. To him, this is only a fight between law enforcement and the Black population.

In my opinion, his view seemed to lack knowledge about the heart of the movement. Like the fact that members of the Black community are not only discriminated against by officers on duty, but also by many non-Black people they walk by every day. It addresses the prejudice against the Black population for nothing apart from the colour of their skin, by both the White population and other minority groups. This is about letting them live peacefully, without being feared, solely for the colour of their skin.

In an attempt to open his mind, I told him a fact about one of the daily struggles the Black community goes through, that he may have never thought about experiencing. 

About 65 percent of Black adults have reported situations where people have been suspicious of their intentions, only because of their race. Only about 37 percent of Hispanic adults, 34 percent Asian adults, and 25 percent White adults have reported this. 

How do you feel about knowing that the Black population is standing up against being viewed as a threat by all people and not just law enforcement?

“I thought the BLM movement was only about getting justice for those who are killed wrongfully by law enforcement. I also didn’t know it was about the small things they go through. I never had to go through something like that. So now I get it, this is an oppression thing. That makes more sense about why there is so much anger in the people who protest. This kind of changes my perspective on things, just a bit. I still think the methods of advocacy need to improve. Vandalism and violence should not be the way they choose to spread the message. But now I know it’s really the small things they go through every day that hurt the most. I guess that gives me a lot to think about. I guess we all have prejudice no matter how ‘woke’ we consider ourselves.”

Photo by Alexis Delilah via chnge

In this case, the interviewee had mixed opinions about the movement after more information was brought to light. It made him consider variables in his personal life that may have influenced him into thinking a certain way—his Whiteness included. This shows some hope in the debate on ending such racism throughout our communities. This shows that some people are truly willing to change their opinion if they are more informed about the situation. It may take time for them to accept differences in thinking, or perhaps to accept that some aspects of their thinking are wrong. The possibility of change is high.

The good news is, for most people around the world, ending racism is not a debate and is an issue that should be addressed immediately. The BLM movement has made its way across the entire planet. People from all over the world took initiative to rally in support of Black lives everywhere. Global citizens took to the streets to advocate the flaws in their own countries, their justice systems, and their own, personal prejudices. All of which advocate towards a step closer to equality among all races.

One thing I have taken away from this interview is that there will always be people on the other side of the fence, always opposing your ideas. Bob was an example of one of them. It gave me the opportunity to listen to what the opposing stance of the BLM Movement had to say. I must say, this experience has been quite educational. I got a glimpse of what it is like to look at the world through their eyes. 

For me, BLM is a movement that aims to get rid of systemic racism and encourage equality among all races—specifically for the Black population. Although Bob’s interview has provided new insight, it will not stop me from supporting the movement by sharing links on social media of various organizations that help support the BLM Movement.

To me, the fight has just begun.