BLM is Not a Trend
I recently felt enraged as well as inspired by an Instagram post from Sassy Latte (@sassy_latte), a prolific political creative and racial justice warrior. She wrote,
“it truly hit me that there are legit ppl in the middle of a pandemic living their best lives, being careless, and putting others at risk. It hit me that Black Lives [only] actually matter to [white] people when we’re dead. It hit me that most [white] ppl have moved on and treated BLM like they treated Me Too….. a trend that worked well for their content, but ultimately doesn’t impact them enough to actually make permanent and sustainable changes.”
What powerful words! “A trend that worked well for their content, but ultimately doesn’t impact them enough to actually make permanent and sustainable changes.” She's right. Since the Me Too movement, very little has changed in regards to acknowledging and serving justice for survivors of sexual assault and abuse. This can clearly be seen in this year’s presidential race. Both the current president as well as the democratic nominee have been accused of sexual assault. We, as Americans, have the privilege to vote between two alleged rapists. In this, it is very clear that we still simply do not care about women. I sincerely hope that Black Lives Matter does not disintegrate like the Me Too movement did. I pray that this time, there is sustainable change, that there is lasting impact.
Sassy Latte goes on in her post saying,
“We share the things we care about. Our families, hobbies, things that bring us joy. If Carol-Ann can share Libby’s gofundme for Libby’s cancer treatment daily for a month, but she only spared a single Black square for Black Lives, THAT MEANS SOMETHING.”
What does that mean?
It means that we have been conditioned to see white individuals’ lives, in this case Libby’s life, as more important than Black Lives collectively mattering. Libby’s life is not a trend. She has a name; she has a face. She most likely benefits from white privilege. And a black box post on Instagram won’t make Libby’s cancer go away.
Meanwhile, the Black Lives Matter movement isn’t just one face. It’s every Black person. No Black person can avoid racism. The names of Black people who have been killed because of racism quickly fade into the recesses of our minds. However, like Libby, a black box post on Instagram also won’t make racism go away.
This is why who we decide to support on gofundme is very telling in how white supremacy and racism have influenced our decision-making.
Another example of this can be seen in what recently happened to Lenin Gutierrez, a Starbucks employee who refused service to a white lady without a mask during a pandemic. Around 2000 well intentioned people raised a whopping $22,000 on gofundme (in just a couple days!) for Lenin Gutierrez because of this heroic feat. (The goal of Matt Cowan’s gofundme for Gutierrez was to help fund Gutierrez’s dancing aspirations. Gutierrez has been given the means to pursue his dream career as a dancer- which is great! There’s no denying that.) However! Meanwhile, hundreds of Black Trans Women’s gofundme’s haven’t even come close to their goals. Many of these women need the money to simply survive, to stave off homelessness, to simply be treated with respect and dignity.
Regardless of whether or not Gutierrez is deserving of such a generous donation, it begs the question as to why trans black women, who arguably need the money more, aren’t met with this same energy. It is frankly alarming to me how quickly people will support cis, white passing people for doing their jobs, while ignoring the cries for help of Black Trans Women, who have an average life expectance of 35 years old. 35 years old. Absolutely no one should have to serve a death sentence for being true to themselves. Black trans lives mattering should absolutely not be a trend. It is our prerogative, as white people, to treat their gofundme’s with the same gusto as Lenin Gutierrez’s and Libby’s.
Sassy Latte ends her post by asking the question,
“How are you coping with apathy around you during racial tensions and a pandemic?”
Personally, I have felt waves of apathy during all of this. One moment I’m angry and horrified and in the next moment I feel numb to it all. I find taking some time off from social media helps me to recharge. Instead of mindlessly scrolling through an overload of information, I try my best to immerse myself in books. Specifically by Black authors. (Recently I’ve read The Wicker King and The Weight of the Stars by Kayla Ancrum, Not All Black Girls Know How to Eat: A Story of Bulimia by Stephanie Covington Armstrong, and Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad.) I go for runs and long walks and listen to podcasts about Black lives, (i.e. 1619, Code Switch, and The Bonnet Talks).
I try to stay as informed as possible while also reflecting on my own privilege as a white woman. I try to remind myself that one day this pandemic will end. As long as I am staying home for the most part, socially-distancing (as well as wearing a mask), I am doing my part in reducing COVID-19 cases. And that’s all I can personally bring myself to think about. People are dying. Disproportionately, Black and Indigenous people are dying. We all need to do better to make sure Black Lives Matter does not end up like Me Too.
I’m linking Sassy Latte’s patreon, Instagram, and Twitter here. Please consider following and/or subscribing to her patreon!
https://www.patreon.com/SassyLatte
https://www.instagram.com/sassy_latte/?hl=en @sassy_latte
https://twitter.com/sassy_latte?lang=en @sassy_latte
I’m also linking gofundme’s for beautiful Black Trans people whose goals have not been met yet. Please please please consider clicking the link and donating and/or sharing them.
****Also, I highly recommend watching the documentary, Disclosure, on Netflix. This fascinating and informative documentary discusses the history of trans women in the media. I also highly recommend watching the drama series, Pose, as well. This series takes place in the 80’s and 90’s during peak Ball Culture in New York City. It discusses racism, discrimination based off of sexual identity and orientation, as well as the AIDS epidemic.****
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