Black Lives Matter

I have been very interested in the Black Lives Matter movement that has been around since 2012, in a response to anti-Black racism that still exists. As a white female, I feel that this movement is crucial for me to become familiar with, recognize the reality behind why it even had to be created, and to be able to advocate for it.

When the Black Lives Matter even came to existence, there were two other ‘movements’ that came into existence as well. Blue Lives Matter was the big one, and All Lives Matter was another. I began to realize when these two emerged, people were definitely missing the point. However, it truly took some time to understand. Chung and Bemak(2012) include important information from in Chapter 11 that ‘Simply recognizing oppression, discrimination, poverty, racism and so forth and how a client manages these issues in his or her life is not enough. Rather counselors and psychologists must act on social injustices, such as oppression or discrimination by expanding their traditional roles and developing awareness of and action on social, political, and economic barriers encountered by marginalized clients.’

I feel that this is such a perfect example of why everyone should support the Black Lives Matter movement. It’s not that ‘Blue Lives’ don’t matter, and it’s not that ‘All Lives’ don’t matter. It is developing the awareness that so many are still facing racism, the violence against black people, specifically males, is real!

This may be something difficult for people to read, but it frustrates me so much now that I am older and have an understanding about it. I remember growing up that when Black History Month came around, that I heard ‘Why don’t they have a white history month?’, or when there was a pageant that was a ‘Miss Black Georgia’(or something of the sort), that I heard ‘Well I don’t know why they can’t have a ‘Miss White Georgia’. When I was young, I didn’t understand. Now that I’m older, I realize that there are hundreds of years of discrimination, racism, and violence against families, not being allowed to participate or do things simply because of color. Pure hatred towards complete strangers, just because of race. YES! There should be every single bit of this and more. This is why Black Lives Matter. People are still trying to take something away from them that should be fair and equal for all. It’s not about the others. It’s not about cops, it’s not about every race. It’s about recognizing and accepting that discrimination, racism, hatred and violence still exist towards black people, and it needs to stop.

Chung and Bemak state that ‘Breaking the cycle of oppression; ending exploitation, racism, terror, violence, and the monopolization of power and resources; and providing clients with an opportunity to have a voice in their present and future all are cornerstones in the helping professionals role.’ For me, this is what I have to do. As a counselor, as a friend, as a wife, as a mother, as an American citizen...I must recognize my students’ voices, their families, the movements that are happening, and help be an agent of change for them.

Chung, R.C., & Bemak, F. P. (2012). Social justice counseling: The next steps beyond multiculturalism in application, theory, and practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.