Black Lives Matter, because All Lives Matter

As a somewhat activist Filipina woman who has recovered from Covid-19, I don't know how to feel right now. All I know is that it pains me to make art like this, in a world like this, at a time like this. (Note: I usually dislike using the racial terms like “Black” or “White” but I’ll use them on this post, out of respect for the Black Lives Matter campaign and for general communicative purposes.)

A Black man dying at the cold hands of the White authority (while Yellow, White and Brown officers stood by!) was the last straw. But why were there ever any straws to begin with? Why didn't the officers abstain? Why didn't they hear either George Floyd or the bystanders' cries? It's inhuman and it's crazy to think that they are sane and trained people. It all boils down to one question - Why does institutional racism or colourism even exist? The truth, while complicated, is that regardless of past regime, it should not exist. And as the world’s protests have shown, it can’t exist, not anymore.

People's anger is rooted so deeply, it has breached the invisible claws of a pandemic that has already been killing hundreds of thousands of people. However, with the world stuck indoors and embracing "the new normal", perhaps it is both the best and worst time to drive home an important point? A very long, overdue point, that's worth risking protestor's lives for, a point that onlookers can no longer walk away or hide from but must watch and ruminate on.

While there are soooo many sides to this argument making themselves known on the internet and streets right now, I try to remember that the #BlackLivesMatter campaign exists for ONE simple reason: That #AllLivesMatter regardless of what a person looks like or what they've been through, regardless of race. Or gender. Or sexuality. Or class. Or age. Or background. Or history. But that simple reason will never be that "simple" to accomplish without "reason", which unfortunately, those officers seemed to have zero amount of.

Instagram link: https://www.instagram.com/p/CBLXHaLhR0_/