7 Cups Stands With #BlackLivesMatter
We at 7 Cups stand in solidarity with our Black mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, sons, daughters, friends, partners, and community against racism and oppression. To our community members who have been impacted by this, we see you and extend our deepest sympathy to you and your loved ones. Please know that 7 Cups is a safe space for you, and we will continue to do our best to ensure that our platform remains a solid foundation for the giving and receiving of support during this extremely challenging year. We are a community that is stronger together, and we will strive together to overcome these hard times.
If you are interested in helping through donations, I found a few reputable links to check out. There are many, many more, (and if you're in an area where protesting is happening, donating locally is a great idea) but feel free to drop any links you have in the replies!
Support #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd Protesters in Atlanta
Louisville Community Bail Fund
https://northstarhealth.wordpress.com/about-us/
Hey there! I would like to believe I am a full ally of this movement, but I know I need to be more informed about some of the struggles our amazing people of color are facing. I am ready to learn about the issues you face so that I know how I can best take action and support your rights.
@LightDragon
Here are a few practical suggestions:
"Clothe yourselves with the tender affections of compassion, kindness, lowliness of mind, mildness, and long-suffering. Continue putting up with one another and forgiving one another freely if anyone has a cause for complaint against another. Even as Jehovah freely forgave you, so do you also. But, besides all these things, [clothe yourselves with] love, for it is a perfect bond of union. - Colossians 3:12-14
"All things, therefore, that you want men to do to you, you also must do to them." -Matthew 7:12
"Put away from yourselves every kind of malicious bitterness, anger, wrath, screaming, and abusive speech, as well as everything injurious. But become kind to one another, tenderly compassionate, freely forgiving one another just as God also by Christ freely forgave you." -Ephesians 4:31, 32
@LightDragon You are well on your way. Stand in the Gap. Asking how you can help? Listening, and researching for understanding.
There is no doubt things have to change and we all know change isn't easy for most people. The inequality between the races is evident most everywhere, healthcare, housing, law enforcement, etc. Not acceptable. And while all lives do matter, the fact is in this moment of time, it is necessary to remember, support, and honor Black Lives Matter. Hopefully, we can all get to the place where all lives matter, even toxic ones. I am thinking about the murders in the Orlando, Pulse night club, today is an anniversary, LBGTQ lives matter too. I truly believe ...one nation under GOD, with liberty and justice for ALL. GOD bless us, everyone...
I've seen a lot of people on here saying "All Lives Matter" and wanted to address that.
Yes, all lives should matter EQUALLY. The problem is, that's not how it is right now. Not everyone is treated as an EQUAL. We need to focus on getting equality for EVERYONE no matter the color of their skin.
I am not a person of color, so no I will never know what it's like to be treated horribly because of the way I was made, because of something I can't control. But what I do know is that I am horrified at what is going on and it is absolutely, 100 percent disgusting what is happening. I can't imagine being scared for my life just walking down the street.
So I'm conclusion, yes, Black Lives Matter. If you brought your friend to the hospital because they were sick and when the doctor treats them, would you say "Well am I getting treated too. Because I matter too." No. You would let the doctor do they're job. And it's not saying you matter any less. It's saying that right now your friend is sick and they need to be treated, not you.
And don't be sad you don't need a movement, be happy that you don't have to fear for your life because you grab a bag of skittles. And use that PRIVILEGE, because that's exactly what it is, to stand up for those who don't have that same luxury.
@EmBeach1643
I really liked the way you used the hospital analogy, excellent. It explained the BLM - alm... NOW in this moment of time it must be BLM, just like the patient in the hospital. Thanks.
@EmBeach1643 I personally don't mind that people are saying "black lives matter" when they mean "black lives also matter, because all lives matter." I get what they mean.
That said, I have a different problem with the phrase. It has been co-opted by the organization Black Lives Matter, whose completely unrelated agenda is a far-left one that is actually very bad for the black community. For one thing, they support dismantling the nuclear family, which is scientifically by far the highest predictor of success for people of any race, much higher than what color your skin is. So if you really want to improve black lives...
@YonaOfPeace do you have a source for them wanting to dismantle the nuclear family? Never heard that and can't find anything about it. Seems like misinformation to me
@FoxPrince Their website https://blacklivesmatter.com/what-we-believe/ states:
"We disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure requirement by supporting each other as extended families and villages that collectively care for one another"
Of course communities should care for each other. But why do they seek to disrupt the nuclear family structure requirement? Who requires it exactly? Western-prescribed? As if whites are forcing blacks to stay married? And again, if anyone really cares for blacks (or anyone else) science shows us they should be promoting the nuclear family, not disrupting it.
The 'hood' nature and lack of family structure in black communities is the single strongest factor between them and their success, and BLM wants to perpetuate it.
This was well-discussed on internet media; if you haven't heard of it, perhaps you are only reading mainstream US media?
@YonaOfPeace I'm not American, so no. All I see online is people misreading their comment and getting upset at their own assumptions. My point is that disrupting a requirement is not the same as saying dismantle, or promoting breaking families up. Their comment isn't dismantling, that's supplementing. To have the community involved in the family as a whole, to pick up any slack or to aid when there needs extra support. Disrupting the requirement is not even remotely saying to get rid of it and promote not having a nuclear family. It's not saying "get rid of dads, single moms only", it's saying "we all have a responsibility to look after the children of our community, not only that child's parents. The community as a whole can support families that don't fall under the typical 'nuclear' family so that together we can raise healthy children, even if they don't have fathers or mothers for whatever reason". So very different, it's not about getting rid of the nuclear family, it's about picking up responsibility as a community so that every family, typical or not, can have a good outcome. And it's about treating everyone as your family, not just stopping at your own household. Community supports where everyone pitches in are very helpful in mental health, I can imagine they'd be just as helpful in other areas.
@FoxPrince I definitely hope you're right. I wish they had written something like "we support single-parent families," etc. That would be something I could support. And why do they label the nuclear family requirement as Western-prescribed?
Either way, from more research, BLM/M4BL also supports reparations, defunding the police, and more.
Any of us is free to support whatever they want, but I think that many people aren't aware of any of this; they think that "Black Lives Matter" just means they're against racism, and that a donation to BLM will go to improving black lives. If they understood BLM's ideology I'm sure that 80% of the people saying #BlackLivesMatter (who don't agree actually with the rest of their platform) might use slightly different phraseology.
Personally, I say "I stand in support of the black community and against racism or violence of any kind."
@YonaOfPeace I'm assuming they called it western because it is western...to have families be only immediate mom, dad, kids. Other cultures (eg. Eastern & Asian) often have extended family involved in raising children, which doesn't follow the western idea, or other cultures that use communities together to raise children...it's not saying marriage is western or even bad, but just that there's other ways to conceptualize what a family is and what is "needed" to raise children well. Hence why I think they wrote disrupting the requirement specifically. It's essentially just being culturally inclusive. I feel like most people could benefit from researching about it, but I don't agree that most people wouldn't actually support the organization if they knew more. It's not like they're secretly evil extremists, doing bad things to their own community
@FoxPrince This may be true in other communities, but the American Black community was actually quite traditional, and very much subscribed to the nuclear family ideal. Since the 50s this trend has turned sharply downward (in all communities, but affecting the Black community much more strongly). And statistically, the single factor that most strongly predicts financial success (in any community) -- and importantly, much more a factor than race -- is being raised by one's mother and father, even today.
Again, to be clear, black people who are raised by their parents do better then white people who aren't. This doesn't mean that race doesn't play a factor -- it just means that being raised by one's parents is a far stronger factor.
With this in mind, why would BLM want to dismantle the nuclear family ideal, when it is demonstrably the single strongest thing that could help their target community?
@YonaOfPeace here, you can read more about African American family values here, which very clearly includes the community and extended family. I don't know why you're trying to stir this up again over a month later, move on with your life.
@FoxPrince First, I was not trying to stir things up, I simply hadn't seen your post before (apparently I don't receive notifications for forum threads) and just came across it. You can of course leave the discussion if you like! Just please do not ascribe negative intent.
The link you posted actually confirms that "Social statistics estimated that nearly 80 percent of African American families during the sixties were headed by a husband and wife team." and "Around the 1960s, African American family structures started to change."
As an aside, I think that so long as the discussion is on how to help people and better the world, it is not proper to respond negatively to people differing as to how to best do that.
@YonaOfPeace
Fox Prince was kind enough to share information to you that clarified the misinformation you posted to undermine the BLM. Why not admit that you were misinformed than continue...just really strange that in a thread specifically on BLM and frequented for persons who support BLM, you'll be here speaking against BLM using fallacies and twisted info instead of being reasonable.
Perhaps, you can consider your intentions of being in the thread. It's not the right place to stir things up. If you don't understand what BLM mean by certain things then message me privately your concerns or questions. Or even anyone else who understands what it means by Black Lives Matters.
Thanks Fox Prince for putting in the effort in providing the research that some adults should do before stirring up misinformation.
@MMaximiliano you're a blessing 💓
@YonaOfPeace Okay, then I will no longer reply to you. You are circling back to comments we've already went over and you clearly have no intention to really read or understand my comments and the information shared with you. I'm not "responding negatively" to different perspectives, I'm feeling unheard and like you're not bothering to take my words with any weight to them, you just want to say your own things and not consider anything else, as evidenced by you going back to previous arguments already covered. As a final reminder, absolutely no one is saying having mothers and fathers both in the family is a bad thing, everyone knows it's a good thing and no one wants to make that go away. But for people who don't have that, and even for families that do, having the larger community and extended family involved in the family can be an added support system, that can be very important and should not be looked down on just because it's not the nuclear family. It can have value too. Think about why black families adopted more western values over time...think about the impact of colonialism and racism and the need to "amalgamate" just to survive and "belong". There is nothing wrong with wanting to embrace original, traditional values. The ones that came from African roots, the ones that developed through surviving slavery. The ones before & born from the forced introduction of western life. Yes, having two parent families is helpful, but it is not the only way to raise healthy safe and happy children, and there's nothing wrong with wanting to embrace those extra supports and make them stronger. NOT get rid of the parent structure, but supplementing it. Which I already talked about and you clearly didn't read or bother taking in. AND dismantling the stereotype and self-fulfilling prophecy (you can look up "stereotype threat") that puts children down and sets them up for failure by suggesting that they can't succeed without a two parent household (which is the nuclear family "requirement" -- do they do better with it? Sure, but that doesn't mean we should say it's a requirement to succeed in life, when there are other options to help supplement what's missing. Any child can be successful when given the right supports, no matter their home life). So with that, I'm done replying to you.
@FoxPrince You make many good points, and I actually agree fully. I'm sorry that you were feeling unheard. I actually did read your replies carefully; in fact, I am feeling that my points went unheard :) Again, please don't assume intention.
This is a charged issue and apparently this is not the proper forum for it.
@YonaOfPeace Why even bring that up though? You can obviously tell that's not what's being talked about. Black. Lives. Matter. And yes, all lives should matter equally. But not all lives matter right now, they aren't all being treated equally. The point is, black lives are being treated like dirt. You may not have meant to come off the way you did. And that being said everyone is entitled to their own opinions. But there is also a difference between opinions and facts.
@EmBeach1643 Which facts?
@EmBeach1643
God "made out of one man every nation of men." -Acts 17:26
That's why "God is not partial." "In every nation the man who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him." -Acts 10:34, 35 (Emphasis mine.)
Just read this beautiful poem by Maya Angelou, felt like sharing this with all of you:
Take the blinders from your vision,
take the padding from your ears,
and confess youve heard me crying,
and admit youve seen my tears.
Hear the tempo so compelling,
hear the blood throb in my veins.
Yes, my drums are beating nightly,
and the rhythms never change.
Equality, and I will be free.
Equality, and I will be free.
#blacklivesmatter
@Loveforhumankind1110
If black lives matter where are all the marches, moments of silence and protests over the black victims of black violence? Where is the outrage? Or is it, perhaps, that black lives matter only when whites take them?
@redPomegranate6234
You definitely make a good point and I am not denying the same. But we all need to acknowledge the fact that a struggle for anything has a starting point. This is just the starting. I am sure eventually many more issues, like the one you mentioned will be raised at a public platform.
We all need to patient with the things we want everyone else to notice and change.
@redPomegranate6234 you must have never been in a black neighbourhood then, if you think there are no vigils and mournings of any black life taken, by any person. The point is that what happened to George Floyd and so many others, is that they were killed by the people who were supposed to protect them, or they were killed simply because they were black. That is the difference, black lives need to matter at a systemic level. People who bring up black on black violence completely misunderstand the point, don't understand the data, and don't understand the movement. Do more research and get your negative stance off of a supportive website. Go argue somewhere else, this is not the place.
@redPomegranate6234
I previously saw a great response to this which: "
What you are overlooking, is this: Police officers represent the government. In essence, black people are financing their own executions with their taxes. Black people have the right to expect the state will treat them fairly and not murder them arbitrarily, and that remains true no matter how many homicides Chicago has. And as for "Where is the outrage?" some people never seem interested unless it can dismiss the concerns of Black Lives Matter.
@redPomegranate6234
Why are you creating a strawman argument when all it takes is a little deeper thinking.
These people are not protesting 'white on black violence'. Else a lot of cases where a 'white person killed a black person' would've been presented. These people are protesting Police brutality based solely on skin colour. Police brutality that is rooted in racism against them. They are protesting to be treated the same manner as a white person by Police officers.
How can you get this far and not get this simple point? Police officers are paid by black tax payers as well. They are to protect and serve them too.
>These people are protesting Police brutality based solely on skin colour.
I missed this; can you point me to where it says that Mr. Floyd was killed because he was black?
@YonaOfPeace I have seen people try to explain this to you very calmly and you still just do not seem to understand.The bottom line is that people of color are presumed to be more dangerous just because of their color. George Floyd was not resisting arrest and yet three officers were on top of him. Then you see videos of white people threatening cops and ACTUALLY resisting and, more often then not, the police don't seem to react the same way. Nobody should have to spell it out for you to understand that there is one very obvious factor that is different between these people. But I'll let you fill in the blanks.
@EmBeach1643 Of course I there are some racist officers out there, but for legal and social reasons, I strongly believe it's important to reserve hate crime proceedings for instances when this has been in fact proven (via evidence, not conjecture). To be sure, police brutality is a obviously horrible criminal act regardless of one's intentions, and racism is obviously horrible regardless of whether it was the motivation of this particular crime; everyone agrees on this. But conflating the two causes us to lose credibility and influence.
(Small example: a lot of people stopped taking protestors seriously when they started protesting Rayshard Brooks's death as well.)
BTW, I have a few thoughts/ideas on this topic and what we can do to help minorities in America, but some people have opined that this thread should be reserved for expressions of support, so let me know if there's interest and maybe we can start another thread.
#BLM
I wanted to share part of the official BLM web page:
"In the years since, weve committed to struggling together and to imagining and creating a world free of anti-Blackness, where every Black person has the social, economic, and political power to thrive."
It would be reductive to just view this as a police brutality issue, because it's economic inequality that also destroying communities. It is the draconian prison system that does not rehabilitate people it only harms them and with that comes the problem getting adequate legal defense if you cannot afford it. People should not go hungry, people should not die from not having health insurance! We cannot allow the wealthy and powerful to continue to cut our social safety nets, while they get tax cuts. All of this is Black Lives Matter. It's all connected and so, we can't just be good consumers and vote-we have to continue to hold our government accountable. And it's both political parties that are at the mercy of corporate interests. Who is with me?
@Heather225 That's great, thank you.
@Heather225
1st. I think my post was deleted for some reason.
2nd. I am seeing a lot of people on here not agreeing that all lives matter and if the blacks would remember that they are out there spreading the virus then they would admit that they do not care about others because they are trying to make them and others sick. So please explain why they don't care. Why are they making others sick? Why are others doing all of these riots and protest and damaging property and beating others up for just having a business or a car going down the street?
@Havingfuninthesnow
It was probably deleted due to being flagged many times and reviewed.
And reading the context of your post, I can see why.
Why the unnecessary hatred and lies, my friend? We all know that the persons who were/are protesting are not only black people but of all races, different countries and background and that alone shows that it's not a movement that is exclusive but one that is inclusive. It's so clear and persons have explained this within this forum so many times that it is amazing how you drew that negative conclusion. But not surprising.
People are not plotting to kill anyone, they really are fedup and pressing for change over an issue that is long long LONG overdue. It is a serious matter, honestly, much more serious than 'I-need-a-hair-cut' protestings.
If you have real questions in lieu of rhetorical ones with bias undertones then why not look into the matter and research what these people are going through, listen to the frustration. It doesn't matter if you do or not because life will move on.
Hello from Liverpool,England,I take the knee on behalf of the movement.
#BlackLivesMatter , I'm black and I'm a Muslim and I'm Arabian and I'm Afraid to go to America to continue my studies because all of this what do I do ?
@noahthebest2005
It will be alright, my friend. You're not alone in your worries. You can get more support by contacting a Listener to help you throw your thoughts.
@GlenM @RarelyCharlie
This is the forum posting that is very discriminating and talking about a race and that people aren't saying that "All Lives Matter". As you can see that Heather created the post a person that is on the 7cups payroll. There are a lot of things that are wrong with this posting as discussed in the other forum posting that I brought up this matter in. As discussed in that other posting that there needs to be a very large discussion with those that are on the 7cups payroll and ALL of the ambassadors on 7cups since this is a violation of the 7cups rules. All of the listeners on this should also be written up due to breaking 7cups rules.
@DanaMH this is hilarious and sad at the same time. You're acting as if saying "black lives matter" means "black lives ONLY matter", which is not the case and never has been. There's literally nothing to be upset about and nothing to get "written up" over, unless you think acknowledging systemic injustice is a bad thing. Unless you think supporting people who are going through a hard time is a bad thing. Unless you think acknowledging racism, which impacts mental health, is a bad thing. Is the black community the only one that has challenges? No. Are they the only ones that matter? No. Is there a worldwide push to treat this community better? Yes. Is this something that 7cups should acknowledge? Yes. Do all lives matter? Yes. Do we need to be saying that right now? No.
This is like if a bunch of cookie factories keep getting destroyed, and someone said "I like cookies" and you take it to mean they've gone and destroyed all other sweet factories and as if they're saying "screw every sweet except cookies". They just want the cookie factories to stop being destroyed.
Would you have gotten upset if there was systemic violence against people with depression, people kept getting murdered by police because they had depression, and 7cups made a post about "depression lives matter", would you come crying about "discrimination" and getting mad that no one is saying "all mental illness matters"? It's just ridiculous. I can't believe you actually think BLM involves any kind of discrimination at all. Excuse us for wanting black lives to be seen as equal, yeesh
@FoxPrince
If the problem is the system how is it that those who graduate high school, wait until they're married to have children and work for a living are practically guaranteed to not live in poverty no matter their ethnicity?
@m4x1m1l14n #1 the problem is getting to that point, with so many barriers and challenges preventing high school graduation, healthy relationships, etc. PLUS all the other challenges even if you get to that point, from not getting a job because of your last name, to lack of access to appropriate supports. You can't say all people have equal opportunity to have the "typical" life of school, marriage, children, etc. That's what systemic issues are, the lack of equal opportunity due to extra challenges. Like...you're just proving my point. If the system is the problem, then when people AREN'T held back by the systemic barriers then they succeed no matter their background. Why do we see such discrepancies then, if it's clearly not some genetic difference? It's the system they're placed in (on top of other social concerns, wherein the systemic issues just multiply in failure) #2 why are you even asking me this? Like what's the actual point? Trying to question if systemic racism exists?? Trying to suggest that there's some perfect world where most people get the life you laid out without all the challenges impacting it? Just seems pointless to ask this. "How come when people have a perfect, privileged life, things are usually okay?" Circular reasoning.
@FoxPrince
I'm reminded of an ancient saying: "Whatever a person is sowing, this he will also reap." -Galatians 6:7
And so, the success of so many peoples of so many different ethnicites and walks of life demonstrates that success in life is a matter of choices. In effect, every choice we make makes us because we are what we choose.
@m4x1m1l14n "you reap what you sow" is about facing consequences of your actions, not about being able to succeed just because you did something. You might benefit from learning about "the myth of meritocracy". You're also forgetting not everyone is presented with equal opportunity for making "choices". You're acting as if people CHOSE to be poor??? CHOSE to have others be racist towards them?? CHOSE to be murdered because of their race?? Please do not respond to me again. Please respect that wish. There's your "choice".