Is Black Lives Matter a movement, an organization, or slogan? It’s all of the above, and that’s what makes it so polarizing. The critics of the movement often respond with their own versions of the saying by asserting that All Lives Matter. All Lives Matter and other sayings are perceived to be attempts to diminish the importance of the movement that aims to bring awareness to and eliminate police brutality that disproportionately affects black people. No reasonable person would disagree with the assertion that black lives matter. So what’s the issue?
The issue is that BLM means different things to different people. It’s used to refer to a number of ideas and beliefs simultaneously. Some people say BLM to communicate that we don’t hold police accountable, that institutionalized racism harms black people, that white supremacy should be eradicated, that LBGTQ people need to be protected, or support for the Black Lives Matter organization. Some people perceive BLM to mean that only black lives matter. Without context, two people disagreeing on BLM could be disagreeing on two completely different things. This ambiguity has helped the slogan/movement/organization grow rapidly as it did because it forced people to talk about it, even if they disagreed with it. It’s hard to differentiate disagreement with the movement & organization with disagreement with the phrase.