Black Lives Matter Too

 

At first, Black Lives Matter

At least, for me it was,

But afterwards, in my mind,

All Lives Matter was the buzz.

At the time I thought

That’s the baby with the bath water

And so, there and then,

I felt this slogan should be altered.

Many had advanced

It should remain as first thought

But something in this slogan

Left me somewhat distraught.

 

Particularly the fact

There is so much white support;

And this is vastly different

From the 1960’s report.

The civil rights movement

Back in the 1960’s

Showed little white support

In fact, if any.

Even way back then

Under Martin Luther King

There was not an awful lot

About which Blacks could sing.

But civil they still were

As they fought for equal rights

And King’s vision of the mountain top

Was a harmonious delight.

“I have a dream,”

He stressed in that speech

Of a black and white harmony

He thought within reach.

  

So, now for the slogan:

Black Lives Matter Too

Appreciating the white support

In whatever we do.

All Lives Matter

Is without doubt inclusive

But the roll out of the same

Was negatively conclusive.

Black Lives Matter

Comes over as separatist

Particularly now so many whites

Are on board to assist. 

 

Black Lives Matter Too

Really nails it for me,

Black and White moving together

And eye-to-eye they see.

What is good for one

Is also good for the other

And this process demonstrates

That all lives matter.

White Lives Matter

But this is the current reality,

Black Lives Matter Too

And this settles it for me.

Stewart Russell © July 2020