Black Lives Matter movement not a trend

By Letter to the Editor on June 11, 2020.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

The Black Lives Matter movement is not a trend, and should not be treated as one.

This matters, and has always mattered. Our support and efforts towards this movement should not cease as soon as the topic is no longer trending. We have the ability to create change, our world NEEDS change. And as someone who is white, I understand that I will never experience or fully understand the oppression and social injustices that people of colour are and have constantly faced, just because of the colour of their skin.

Although I may not face this issue, and it does not impact me personally, I will not ignore it. I choose to stand up and use my voice to speak for what I believe in. I choose to stand with the black community, even though I am not the same, because they matter, and deserve justice. All lives cannot matter until black lives matter, and if you believe anything otherwise you have not educated yourself enough on this topic. We NEED change, equality and justice, and we will not reach this goal if we take our foot off the gas as soon as protests end and the BLM movement isn’t trending anymore. Educate yourself, protest, sign petitions, donate, use your voice and SPEAK UP. Do everything you can to raise the awareness this topic deserves.

I understand this can be uncomfortable for people to face, but that doesn’t matter. Have the uncomfortable conversations BECAUSE this matters more than your uncomfortableness with the issue. We have the ability to change this harsh reality for others, and our world needs this change, but recognize the fact that in order to do this, we can’t take our foot off the gas as soon as this isn’t the only thing recognized on social media anymore. Use your voice and continue to speak up. This is important, and always will be.

Hailey Schofield

Medicine Hat

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