I'm Black And This Is How I Feel About The Dallas 'White Lives Matter' Protest

I've never felt more mocked than when I heard about the "White Lives Matter" protest held in Dallas on Sunday, July 17.

This is just another example of people belittling a staggering problem that exists in this country.

It's even worse than “All Lives Matter.”

Black Lives Matter was created by three black women after George Zimmerman shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, who only had a pack of Skittles and a hoodie to defend himself. George Zimmerman was not held accountable, which isn't a surprise to anyone in the black community.

This movement is not anti-police. It's anti-brutality.

Black Lives Matter is calling attention to the fact my brothers and sisters in my community are being gunned down and murdered without any repercussions. It's calling out the reality that although everyone should be treated equally in America, that is simply not the case.

This is why members of the black community, including myself, are furious when people shout out “all lives matter” to silence our voices. Obviously, all lives matter, but they won't all matter until black lives matter.

Black Lives Matter is about focusing on black people, not excluding white people. It means “black lives matter, too.” If a person thinks it means anything other than that, he or she is simply just misinformed.

That's why this mockery and insensitivity known as “White Lives Matter” is such an insult.

Everyone knows white lives matter. The country was built on white supremacy. The country signed off on its independence by stating everyone should be treated equally while simultaneously owning slaves. The hypocrisy is blatant.

This protest even had people walking around with Confederate flags.

The Confederacy, or the Confederate States of America, was created based on racist sentiments.

The vice president of the Confederacy, Alexander Stephens, literally once said his government was founded "upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery, subordination to the superior race, is his natural and normal condition."

This protest in Dallas may have been peaceful, but it definitely did not have equality in mind.

As a black person who is for the Black Lives Matter movement, I feel it's important to disclose I also do not condone the police murders in Dallas. I also feel the need to inform people who were quick to blame the movement for the murders the sniper had no affiliation with Black Lives Matter.

So in essence, these 20 or so people who marched in this insulting protest ridiculed a movement that had literally nothing to do with the awful deaths of five police officers.

I have no words to accurately describe my disgust. The reality is this country has never been fair to my community. There has been progress, but the myth blacks are treated equally needs to rest.

I have watched the older generations of my family tell all the grandchildren to always be careful when speaking with police. I have listened to the seriousness of their voices when they urge us to never react, even when being blatantly disrespected. They know this because it's a matter of life and death for my community.

My community recites names of our fallen because it's all we have to hold on to: Freddie Gray, Trayvon Martin, Sandra Bland, Michael Brown, Philando Castile, Alton Sterling, etc...

My community screams “black lives matter” because we all feel as if no one is listening.

On behalf of black people in America, I'm urging my non-black associates to not just hear, but listen to us. There is a reason we all are screaming because, in this country, we have always been under attack.

Some people are tired of hearing about poor race relations, but I and the rest of my community are exhausted of experiencing it.

Citations: The Creation of a Movement (Black Lives Matter), The Confederate Flag Was Always Racist (Politico), Five Dallas Officers Were Killed as Payback, Police Chief Says (The New York Times)