#blacklivesmatter. Today there was a black lives matter protest on the UNT campus.

As
a member of the protest there are a few intersections between the protest and what we have
learned in class. The first notion that was important about the protest is the question of
solidarity in politics. The Protest quickly turned from black lives matter to All lives matter.
Although it is good for the discussion of lives to take place the co-option of the protest by other
causes seems problematic. The next problem with the protest was the lack of gender
recognition. The protest was surrounding the death of Eric Garner a black male. With the intent
off the protest in mind, the lack of feminine interaction with the protest was deafening. There
were more women than men to speak but not a single one placed their lived reality around
their body as a woman. The lack of importance being placed on the feminine body is more than
likely a result of the way that society has worked to push womens voices to the back. Another
possible explanation is the fear of fracturing movements. Much of the protest did surround the
black lives that were lost but even in the moments where the protests embodied a more multiracial perspective, there still was no reference to gender.
Overall, the protest was a success. Strides were made about education and recognition
of the violence that goes on in the United States on a daily basis. The problem though is why
these strides come at the cost of important conversations. In all the protest should have
remained #blacklivesmatter and should not have be co-opted by other forms of revolution.
Although, there should also be a protest that says #womenslivesmatter