How to respond to "#BLM Doesn't Care About Black on Black Violence"
By Joshua Boyd
"Black Lives Matters doesn't care about black on black violence."
I'm sure by now we have all seen this said in discussions about Black Lives Matter (BLM), protests, and the current movement happening. I try to recognize my biases when researching, and tried to objectively answer the question: Does BLM care about black on black violence.
Verdict: They kind of don't.
I'm sure that surprises you, but let me explain.
The organization that is BLM has this as their mission: "To eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes." Let me repeat, The Black Lives Matter organization (BLMO) is focused on ending white supremacy and violence against blacks by, for example, police (George Floyd), and individuals (Ahmaud Arbery). So yes, they do not focus on black on black violence.
To understand the movement, we have to separate the hashtag from the organization. The hashtag is used universally in discussions over the value of black lives. The BLMO has a specific mission that does not organize protests for black on black violence. So if you're trying to say the BLMO doesn't "care", sure, go ahead. You're still wrong, but I get it. However, don't for one second more believe black people don't care about all black lives.
People in opposition to our protests and anger love to say that black people don't care about violence in our own communities, but that could not be more wrong. When we (black people) see headlines about the death tolls in Chicago, we don't just gloss over it. Most of us mourn silently. Yes, we don't put out hashtags with the victims names and start national protests, but just because we don't advertise our mourning and you don't see our pain doesn't mean it isn't there. Talk to anyone in an inner city community and they are mourning the loss of their children just as much as you would mourn the loss of your own.
Do you not really care about kids with cancer because I only saw you do a march for breast cancer awareness specifically? I only saw a pink ribbon on your profile picture. You didn't seem to care about cancer until someone you knew had it, so do you really care?
You can care about all cancers, while finding the lane you want to help in. We can march against police brutality, and also care about gang violence. It's just that right now we're talking about police brutality.
Also, see these videos of Chicagoans protesting gun violence:
https://abc7chicago.com/gun-violence-chicago-shootings-protest/5460834/
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If you spend even a short time in inner cities, you'll find many programs and individual leaders who commit their time and resources to helping youth and adults through prevention, intervention, and recovery. All you have to do is a quick Google search and you'll find dozens of programs for a big city near you.
Here are some community programs specific to Chicago:
My Block My Hood My City: formyblock.org
Chicago Freedom School: https://chicagofreedomschool.org/
South Suburban Defenders: https://www.facebook.com/SouthsuburbanDefenders (Baseball with LEO's!)
Future Ties: https://futureties.org/ (Founded by a cop)
BUILD: buildchicago.org
GoodKids MadCity: facebook.com/GKMC2018
Girls 4 Science: girls4science.org
Chicago Area Project: chicagoareaproject.org
Here's a longer list of programs in Chicago that focus on improving the lives of people in Chicago: https://abc7chicago.com/stop-the-violence-resources-chicago-in/3894299/
There are few national programs, non-profits, and organizations focusing on gang violence, but they do exist. A prominent one is the National Gang Center. They have a Gang Resistance Education and Training (GREAT) program that is a school based program lead by law enforcement officers. (https://bit.ly/3cEenUa)
