Black Lives Matter Mural Defaced In Brooklyn

I am white. And so, I feel a little hesitant in posting this. But I will anyway. 

First off, I want to say that I fully support the Black Lives Matter movement. I even brought my daughter to a rally in our town. True, there wasn't a single black face in the crowd, but we meant well.

Then I saw the Bevelyn Beatty interview on Youtube. That shattered my world. Here was a black woman opposing BLM. I was confused. Then I was angry. Then I was confused again.

In the end, I realize it's her place to say the things she said, and not mine. It's not my experience being black, and I can only listen. 

But she says things that are totally in contrast to what most black people think and believe about Black Lives matter. Bevelyn defaced the mural in Manhattan and other boroughs because she strongly believes that the movement is not about helping black people.

It's not my place to agree or disagree. Bevelyn Beatty and other black men and women are the ones we should be listening to. 

At first I was very confused as to why she defaced the murals. But after reading about it and seeing her interviews on You-tube I think I get it now.

This whole mess of black and white in the USA is a lot more complicated than any of us would like to admit. And, no single politician is going to solve it by waving a magic wand.

Was she right in what she did? Was she wrong? I am white so it's not my place to judge. But I am learning. 

I disagree with her stance on a number of topics. Like abortion. And the reasons why black communities are suffering. 

But again, what do I really know? I am just watching all this from the comfort of my privileged position, sitting in my living room surrounded by homes with other white people doing the same. I don't live in the ghetto and never will. So is it really my place to make a value judgement here?

Bevelyn Beatty painted over the Black Lives Matter murals because she felt they were somehow against her religion, and against black people. I know it sounds ironic and doesn't make much sense at first, but after hearing her speak, I see why she thinks as she does.

Black people have had it rough. No one can argue that. How do they move forward? I think that no one can agree, not even black people. 

Bevelyn Beatty sees Christianity being at the center of a solution. But not everyone is Christian. 

Again, I'm definitely not saying anything one way or another, but in my mind, those murals stood for black pride. And desecrating them seems to cancel out that idea.

My aunt was divorced. Her husband used to beat her. She'd come to our home with black eyes and torn clothes. I know anyone can experience this of any race, but as a kid, seeing her like that and hearing her cry to my Mom affected me. If you didn't experience this, either firsthand, or witness it like I did to a close family member or friend, you don't have any idea.

So I think it's like that with the whole painting over the BLM mural thing. I am not in a position to really understand. I will do my best to learn, but I also hear the voices of many other black people condemning Bevelyn Beatty's actions.