Wrestling with “all”: the call of “Black Lives Matter”

I say “Black Lives Matter” because “all” didn’t cover Black when they said “All men are created equal.”
I say “Black Lives Matter” because “all” didn’t cover Black when they said “With liberty and justice for all.”
I say “Black Lives Matter” because they’re still struggling with the definition of  “all.”

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When we declare, “Black Lives Matter,” we are etching a mark in the fabric of our collective narrative. It’s a cry ignited by a grim reality. When we wrote, “All men are created equal,” the definition of “all” was skewed, filtering out the hue of Black. It was like a kaleidoscope looking at a rainbow, but ignoring the darkest colors.

Yet, the importance of the term “all” cannot be overlooked. When the Pledge of Allegiance echoed “with liberty and justice for all,” it hung in the air, like an unfinished symphony. The notes played for some—yet for others, it fell silent. The word “all” became a magician’s trick, promising universal inclusion but selectively leaving some in the shadows.

Today, “Black Lives Matter” is a defiant shout, a potent mantra pushing against the age-old edifice of discrimination. It’s an attempt to redraw the boundaries, to recolor the spectrum, to redefine the concept of “all.” It’s like squeezing a telescope’s focus until the forgotten stars snap back into view.

We’re battling an undefined term, wrestling with an elusive concept of “all,” wrestling with a skewed mirror that blurs certain reflections. The struggle to bring clarity continues. The rallying cry, “Black Lives Matter,” is a testament to that enduring fight. It’s the unyielding wave that keeps crashing against the hardened cliffs of prejudice, shaping them, remolding them until the face of fairness becomes visible.

In the grand scheme of words and meanings, “Black Lives Matter” is the world seeking a revised dictionary where “all” embraces Black, where “all” stands for genuine equality, where “all” guarantees liberty and justice without the murkiness of implicit biases. It’s the world’s overdue wake-up call, the world relearning the meaning of “all.”