Being the Difference in BLM Movement
by Sierra V. Jones, Biomedical Sciences & Spanish For the Health Professions ‘22
The Black Lives Matter movement is not saying that Black lives are more deserving than others, but rather that we simply matter. This needs to be stated because we have never mattered in America. The American dream was built on the nightmares of the enslaved Africans. Anyone who looks at statistics concerning sentencing, mass incarceration, and police brutality will see that Black Lives are not valued in America.
As a Jesuit Institution, Marquette is founded on ‘Being the Difference,’ ‘Cura Personalis’, and ‘Being Men and Woman for and with Others.’ Even though this is Marquette’s mission, their original response to America’s abusive treatment toward Black Americans was not appropriate. It goes without saying that prayer should be one of the first things every willing student should do, but that is not all that is needed. One of the main reasons America’s climate has not changed is because the American people are not educated about what is truly going on. Unfortunately, the American history that is taught in schools is propaganda. But Marquette’s efforts have changed since their initial tone-deaf response. Black Student Council has been working with Marquette to not only help diversify our campus, but to change our campus’ climate in order to make it feel more comfortable, inclusive, and safer for us Black students. Now that administration is more aware, Marquette has been very receptive and dedicated to ‘Being the Difference.’
Over the last few months I have dedicated myself to educating others. As stated before, America will not change until its American people are aware of the persistent problems its Black citizens face. But people should not rely on Black people to always educate them. In today’s age, ignorance is a choice. With the internet, there is no excuse to not be educated on what is going on around you. Besides educating themselves, people who can vote, should vote. People should not only vote on the executive level, but also the judicial and legislative branches. Those two branches directly affect people and their state laws. America needs representatives who are not solely talk but take the necessary actions for permanent change in America. Everything that is currently happening is a repeat of what has already happened. We have to study the past so that we are not doomed in the future.
