The BLM movement isn’t over, so stop pretending it is.

Black lives matter. This small but powerful statement has been circling the globe as people protest for justice for the deaths of Black Americans. Black Lives Matter should be a universally acclaimed sentence, but for those who lack empathy and compassion, it is supposedly inaccurate. “All lives matter” they retaliate. While this may seem true, not all lives need to be focused on right now. Retaliating with “all lives matter” isn’t helpful. All lives haven’t encountered dangerous and/ or life-threatening situations because of their race. People of color and different ethnicities have always been a target for prejudice and inequality, simply because of our complexities. So, no, All Lives do not matter until black lives do. Instead of creating unrelated fights and defending those who are clearly wrong, open your mind. Right now, our focus should be fixing the system that has allowed the deaths of so many African Americans who had no reason to be harmed.

The last few weeks have been paramount in the battle for equality and police defunding, bringing people together to fight for George Floyd’s justice, raising awareness against the flawed police system, and broadcasting the power of motivated and wounded people who have faced injustices for long enough. But the flame is dying. After trending for a few weeks, the BLM movement has begun to drown, buried by disinterest and lack of dedication. Unfortunately, the naive believe racism is gone after two weeks of protests. Obviously this is not true, even if you choose to believe it. There are still dozens of stories that haven’t been told, stories that might not ever be uncovered because of the justice system that has poisoned our country. The fight isn’t over, and it is a privilege to believe so. There is so much you can do to help, from signing petitions, donating to the cause, and raising awareness for the movement. Change won’t start because the movement is trending, but because it’s being fought for, constantly.