“All Lives Matter”: An Obituary For A Mother’s Lesson

BOSTON, MA — JUNE 19: Protestors argue with a counter protester holding an “all lives matter” sign during a Black Lives Matter rally on Town Field in Boston’s Dorchester on Juneteenth, June 19, 2020. (Photo by John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Recently, a Black Lives Matter apologist wrote an article and asked: What’s wrong with the slogan “All Lives Matter”. It explained three problems.

1). The slogan was a weaponized phrase designed to silence the oppressed.

2). The slogan made marginalized communities question their reality.

3). The slogan isn’t logical. All lives can’t matter if black lives don’t.

Then I saw a headline that said: Black Lives Matter leaders say “All Lives Matter” label misses the point

It’s hard to dismiss the above sentiments, especially since the slogan “All Lives Matter” has been adopted by the right in the era of Trump. Now that Black Lives Matter has gained acceptance in corporate America, they have an incentive to kill off the rival slogan that branded them as non-inclusive.

But historical accuracy matters.

“All Lives Matter” may have morphed into a chant that missed the point, but Black Lives Matter completely missed the point from the beginning.

When Hillary Clinton ran for president in 2008, she stated she planned to incorporate her mother’s story into her campaign. Her mother, Dorothy Rodham, was abandoned as a child and sent to live with abusive grandparents. At 14, during the great…