It used to be fine for people to say that “All Lives Matter”. I sincerely believe in it. It’s empathetic to feel that all humanity has equal value.

So, why is it now racist to express that credo? I had to think hard about it and it became very clear in light of the new Black Lives Matter protests.

It’s called White Privilege.

White Privilege is a concept that’s been around for centuries. It came to the academic fore in the 1980s, alongside the equally scathing contention that all history is written by DWM or Dead White Males.

Well, the White Privilege debate resurged around 2013 when the BLM movement sprouted forth and as the media trended, it slowly entered the vernacular around 2019.

Till now though, I’d never understood why. But I can see how it goes right the crux of our discussion.

You see, it’s White Privilege to say, “All Lives Matter”—because when you hone it down only a White person could be so candid about it.

For if a Black person were to declare it, no matter how genuine their intention might be, a White person could respond, “Who cares what you think about my rights, N##ga”.

That would never happen to a White commentator.

The social agenda is largely set by White Privilege. It’s why Hollywood and the Academy Awards became so contentious recently.

And it’s why “Black Lives Matter” must remain on society’s lips until equality across all rights becomes the Black normalcy.

© 2020 Adam Parker. White, male.