June 17 marked yet another atrocious hate crime on American soil. 21-year-old Dylann Roof has been charged in connection with the mass murder of nine members of the African Methodist Episcopal Church – which has long been a site for community organizations, specifically those regarding the civil rights movement. This act has reignited the "Black Lives Matter" movement, which came to be after the shooting of Trayvon Martin, which many have suggested was unjust.
This movement was put in place in order to find justice for Martin specifically, and to garner media attention for his case, which until such time had not received due attention. In response to this movement, many Twitter and other social media users spread the phrase "All Lives Matter." This counter movement, however, is extremely hypocritical. If all lives matter, it is imperative that we empower people of racial minorities. In such acts of racism, and the subsequent lack of media attention, black people are being told that their lives are not of value. Through the "black lives matter" movement, their value is restored, making them equal with all life. Therefore, all lives matter.
While these cases and the following movements have happened on American soil that is not to say that racism is not an active problem at home.
It wasn't until high school when I left the "St. Albert bubble" that I was faced with the reality of the privilege I hold, all over the world as a white woman. This is not the case for many, even in the cozy suburb of St. Albert. Libby Thomas, a local student and a good friend of mine said of her experience,
"When I was called an “Oreo” by other kids in junior high – Black on the outside, White on the inside – I didn’t understand that the idea behind that statement was racist. How could somebody see race as a monolith and then have the audacity to tell me that I don’t belong in my own skin? What I soon came to understand was that if I didn’t subscribe to the glorified ghetto lifestyle of American hip hop and rap culture, I shocked people for not fitting into their subconscious perceptions of what it means to be Black," she told me.
While this particular example may seem relatively minor or a joke made with good intention, it is just another example of something she, and other people like her experience on a daily basis. Being an incredibly intelligent and accomplished young woman, Libby is told by society that because she holds herself to a standard of excellence, that makes her “white.” It doesn't. It makes her an intelligent, accomplished young woman who happens to be of Jamaican descent.
While the "Black Lives Matter" movement has not made its way to Canada, many other movements are tackling the injustices people of racial minority face; one example being the "No More Missing Sisters" campaign, regarding the staggeringly high statistics of missing and murdered Indigenous women in Canada. While the civil rights movement surrounding "Black Lives Matter" has come a long way in Canada, it, and issues regarding Indigenous people and those of other minorities, still has an incredibly long way to come. It is imperative that we treat everyone with a respect and dignity, no matter the colour of their skin, or the preconceived notions you may have based on tired stereotypes. We must be aware of our personal privilege, in order to achieve equality, because all lives matter.
Jennifer Hamilton is a local student and aspiring writer.
