‘Black Lives Matter’ is simultaneously a general statement of support and a specific Marxist organization. These definitions at are odds with each other.
Vice President Mike Pence found himself in some hot water this week when he refused to say the words, “Black Lives Matter” (BLM). At first glance, it is difficult to understand why anyone would have any reason not to say three words that are so obviously right and true. But in fact, the situation is more complicated and that is because the term has two very distinct, if not contradictory meanings in today’s America. One is a general statement of support for civil rights; the other is a loose Marxist organization with a clear radical agenda.
BLM began as the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter in 2013 in wake of the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the killing of Trayvon Martin. That earliest iteration of the term was the general statement of support. But very quickly BLM became the umbrella name for a network of loosely affiliated activist groups with a very far left set of objectives. In fact one of the founders has said on video that the organization was founded by “trained Marxists.”
Like other left-wing activist groups such as Anonymous, and Antifa, Black Lives Matter, the organization, is very decentralized and therefore hard to pin down. This is by design. One product of this decentralization is that it is very hard to know exactly what BLM wants.
Sometimes it is defund the police, sometimes it is demilitarize the police, sometimes it is end capitalism and sometimes it is greater capital investment in black communities.
