A Stolen Sign

On July 4, we put up a yard sign that said, “Black Lives Matter.” The sign sat in our yard for the entire month without incident. Then the one year anniversary of the shooting of Michael Brown arrived. Suddenly the Black Lives Matter movement was in the news again, with memorials, marches, and protests in Ferguson. The next night our sign was stolen from our yard.

This was disappointing for several reasons. The sign was a gift from a clergy friend in Saint Louis, Mo. And we didn’t think people in our town would be upset by the sign. But it was gone.

Thankfully, we had a second sign to put up. So we did, the next morning. We then went about our day. At supper, there was a knock on the door. A man we have never met stepped before us. He then demanded that we take the sign out of our yard. He crossly told us that our town doesn’t allow incendiary signs. We tried to explain the sign ordinance to him. He got more upset, and then tried to give us a sheet of paper with a paragraph highlighted. He made his demand again. We then tried to explain the meaning of the sign in order to show him that the sign wasn’t meant to be controversial. We also said we’d leave the sign up since it’s within the city’s code.

“Then I’m going to report this to city council!" he said, angrily.

With that, he walked away.

A kerfuffle with a neighbor is not ideal. We had to report the situation to the mayor and the police chief just in case there would be more trouble in the future. They were sympathetic and professional. We were also interviewed by local media. They were helpful in getting our story out and helping to continue our community’s discussion on race. Hopefully that is the end of that part of the story. We don’t want an angry neighbor. And we don’t want to be angry neighbors ourselves.

More than anything, we wish that stranger — and anyone else who may have similar thoughts — could understand our perspective on the Black Lives Matters movement. "Black lives matter" means that the lives of African-Americans matter. That's all. It doesn't mean that other lives don't matter. Or that other people matter less. It also doesn't mean that black people are morally superior to other people. Black Lives Matter provides the needed reminder that black lives matter, too.

It can be dangerous to be black. In 2012, a black person was killed every 28 hours by law enforcement officials or self-styled "vigilantes." About 27 percent of African-Americans live below the poverty line. Black families are seven times more likely to be homeless than white families. African-Americans are four times more likely to be murdered than the national average. The statistics go on and on. But the stats also have names: Michael Brown, Freddie Gray, LaTanya Haggerty... these lives matter, and we are called to bravely protect people who are being killed. 

African-Americans face danger, discrimination, and injustice that are unique to their community. It’s extreme enough that it needs to be named and addressed. That is the reason for the Black Lives Matter movement. And that’s the reason for our sign.

Obviously all lives matter (Psalm 139:13). But not all communities face the same disparities and prejudice. Until the unique challenges that harm the African-American community are addressed, then the Black Lives Matter movement will continue to be needed. In a similar way, we can support the unique need for Breast Cancer Awareness month without discounting the importance of addressing other kinds of cancer. Obviously we can support the Black Lives Matter movement without discounting the fact that all lives matter.

It's not about semantics. It's about systems (and minds) that need to be changed for the betterment of the future. And that future will, in fact, be better for all lives. As we're called to do as people of faith, let's choose to support life (Deuteronomy 30:19).