Would Black people still be tolerable if they offered no equitable contribution to the society that brought them here in the first place? Those who determine what an equitable contribution is have never had their contribution [to society] questioned. So, what exactly is an equitable contribution? Is it determined by the education one has and the schools they attend or the socio-economic class they belong to? To exist in this society, Black people must be exceptional, always. This exceptionalism is somehow meant to neutralize any disgusting racial stereotype that exist. There is nothing wrong with being exceptional, but why is it that — for Black people — being exceptional equates to being deserving of basic human rights? Is there space for Black people to exist in mediocrity without being labeled as lazy? America’s utility of Black life arguably has not changed from the initial use: economic capital. The expectation is, systemic racism and oppression aside, that we should still be outstanding. Black humanity hinges on being excellent all of the time, but those who are just focused on being, are just as human.

If the idea of Blackness to [white] America did not revolve around their favorite ballplayers, rappers, or entertainers, would Black lives — to them, still matter? In America, Black people have always been seen as ornamental. It has become so embedded in society that it is within our everyday life. From the condiments we use for breakfast to decorative landscaping in an affluent neighborhood, it is as if Aunt Jemima and lawn jockeys are all that we are. So again, I pose the question, if the idea of Blackness to [white] America did not revolve around their favorite ballplayers, rappers, or entertainers, would Black lives — to them, still matter? The short answer is no, probably not. The societal definition of Blackness is problematic in itself. Blackness is more than the culture we provide or the trends and music popular culture runs on. Blackness is so much more than its reduction being America’s favorite pastime. Neither Blackness nor its people are monolithic.

Black lives matter is an unambiguous statement, in my opinion. The statement does not gift one the option of whose Black life matters, but that every single Black life does. Not only your friends or your classmates, but a random person you will never meet. However, Black lives more than matter, matter is the minimum. To matter is to value, which is the least one can do. Blackness is valuable. In all of our doing — and not doing — we are deserving. Blackness is resistance and that resistance is unlimited. Even within that resistance, the value of Black life is not minimized as a result. The value of Black life is NOT measured by its incarceration. Value Black lives even when they are not providing a service to you. Value Black lives beyond the commodification they gifted you at the founding of this country. Value Black lives in spite of.