MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Earlier this week, a viewer reached out to us asking to explain why the movement is focused on Black Lives Matter versus All Lives Matter.
It's a question that's come up time and time again, so we are breaking down what the call really means.
The message, "Black Lives Matter," rings through streets all across the country.
Amber Sherman, a member a of Black Lives Matter and Shelby County Young Democrats Vice President explains what it means.
"Black Lives Matter is a movement to address the fact that black lives really haven't seemed to matter for police and people who unjustly kill black people in egregious and excessive force ways and how they aren't receiving justice for this," said Sherman.
But, there are some questions that have come forward about the movement. "Why say Black Lives Matter instead of All Lives Matter?"
A Local 24 News viewer named Judith asked us to explore the topic.
"I've seen a lot people comparing All Lives Matter to Black Lives Matter. They don't really not only how offensive that is, but that it's not right," said Judith. "I don't even know how to explain it to my friends. I'm Puerto Rican and I'm married to a Black man. I know what it means to us, but it's not necessarily what it means to everyone else."
"To me, it's tone deaf. If all lives actually mattered, then black people wouldn't be unjustly murdered at the hands of police," said Sherman. "Let's say my house is on fire and I call the fire department and they say, 'All houses matter.' They stop by every house on the way to my house to come help me. We're talking about the urgency of Black Lives Matter. Black people are the ones being killed not everyone else."
There is also a view that the movement excludes other races.
"It's definitely not exclusionary. I feel like, if anything, what's actually is exclusionary is all lives matter because it tries to remove race from what needs to be a race discussion. We need to have this discussion about," said Sherman.
It is all in hopes that these conversations will bring a new day.
"I think the movement has started so many people's thinking. You see so many cultures in the movement....I tell my nieces and nephews you're going to be somebody. I don't want anybody stepping on their toes not letting them be somebody," said Judith.
Sometimes, these conversations can be tough, but Local 24 News is having them.
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