The Black Lives Matter movement was born out of the death of Trayvon Martin at the hands of neighbourhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman in 2012, and gained momentum after the deaths of Eric Garner and Mike Brown at the hands of police last year. Its campaigners have been fighting for equality and raising awareness around white supremacy and police brutality towards black people since it began after Zimmerman was found not guilty of second degree murder and acquitted of manslaughter. This is a fight for the equality of black people, and while promoting other social issues like gender equality and animal rights also matters, this particular fight is for the equality of black lives, in a society where racial equality is way too often not prevalent. That’s why we don’t need #AllLivesMatter, and really need #BlackLivesMatter.
Matt McGorry, Orange is the New Black‘s most open feminist recently showed his support for the #FreeTheNipple movement and the budding actor/activist has just weighed in on the #BlackLivesMatter campaign in a series of 10 very on point tweets, and a short Instagram essay. If you still don’t get it, read this:
(1) For people who think they are being more inclusive by saying #AllLivesMatter in response to #BlackLivesMatter , they are in reality
— Matt McGorry (@MattMcGorry) July 18, 2015
(2) (un)consciously undermining the purpose of the movement because THIS particular movement is about SPECIFIC issues, as any decently
— Matt McGorry (@MattMcGorry) July 18, 2015
(3) effective movement is. For example, it’s hard to have an effective protest that’s about gender equality, animal rights, racial equality,
— Matt McGorry (@MattMcGorry) July 18, 2015
(4) and saving the environment because that’s not how getting shit done works. But I’ve never seen #AllLivesMatter promoted by someone who
— Matt McGorry (@MattMcGorry) July 18, 2015
(5) actually fights for social justice. So someone getting up in arms bc of #BlackLivesMatter while they sit on the sidelines and do little
— Matt McGorry (@MattMcGorry) July 18, 2015
(6) to nothing for Black lives or anyone’s other than their own is probably not actually promoting that “All Lives Matter (Equally)” as
— Matt McGorry (@MattMcGorry) July 18, 2015
(7) much as they’re trying to take down the idea that #blacklivesmatter” and denying its necessity and value. So. Show me the person who
— Matt McGorry (@MattMcGorry) July 18, 2015
(8) spends their life fighting for all lives ACTUALLY mattering and who says #AllLivesMatter and I’ll show you a world where people are
— Matt McGorry (@MattMcGorry) July 18, 2015
(9) treated like they actually do (neither of those things as far as I’ve seen). Now I don’t know much about all of this but I know enough
— Matt McGorry (@MattMcGorry) July 18, 2015
(10) to not consciously or unconsciously undermine a very needed movement that promotes EQUALITY. #BlackLivesMatter #EricGarner
— Matt McGorry (@MattMcGorry) July 18, 2015
Credits
Text Felicity Kinsella