Northern Illinois University (NIU) students are being subjected to diversity training that reinforces the notion that phrases such as “All Lives Matter” and “Blue Lives Matter” are racist.
The diversity training is part of the school’s Conversations on Diversity and Equity (CODE) workshop, focused on creating “spaces … to explore complex aspects of the diversity and equity framework,” according to the school’s website. This training is a requirement for all student organization leaders at NIU.
An anonymous tipster sent a screenshot of one of the training’s slides to Young America’s Foundation (YAF). The slide claims phrases such as “All Lives Matter” and “Blue Lives Matter” are examples of “anti-blackness.”
Other examples of “anti-blackness” listed on the slide are as follows: “justifying brutality against black children,” “assuming that violence is deserved,” “misinformation or lies” such as “the belief that black people are dangerous,” and “anti-black institutions and policies.”
The student tipster who provided the slide wishes to remain anonymous out of fear of retribution. However, the tipster decided to share it out of frustration for the anti-police rhetoric.
“This is the real plague on the minds of those who will one day be released into our society with the future of the country in their hands,” the student said.
The slide seems to insinuate that it is racist and “anti-black” to ask questions or allow facts to undermine the immediate anger that follows a police-involved shooting of a black person, regardless of whether it was justified.
Northern Illinois University has declined to comment on the slide, despite repeated requests from YAF. However, the university seems to elaborate on its position in a statement on its website:
After the senseless deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery, our nation and campus experienced a wake-up call that makes it clear that change is required. Our CODE workshops provide opportunities to have these discussions to learn about the realities of racism and to foster a more welcoming university experience for all.
One important aspect CODE training covers is how the phrase “Black lives matter” can instantly trigger a counter response of “all lives matter” or “blue lives matter.” In preparing people to address this reply, we’re not diminishing our respect or how we embrace any others in our larger community, including the police. What we are saying is that no one is born “blue.” Being a police officer is a noble calling that requires tremendous personal sacrifice, all for the good of protecting others; but the uniform can come off. People are born Black, and because of that one fact, their everyday lives are impacted to the point that they are being killed for simply living their lives. Advocating for Black people by saying “Black lives matter” so they are able to live their lives without being minimized, marginalized, harassed or killed is not anti-police — it’s pro human. We’re not talking about an organization or another racial group nor are we making a political statement. We’re simply saying we see and hear the pain Black people are experiencing, and we want to acknowledge it and to help end racism.
And while the statement is not “anti-police” and seems to hold some reverence for police officers by recognizing the sacrificial nature of that occupation, it sadly falls into the SJW trap of asserting that black people are being killed for no other reason than for being black, and that simply is unsupported by both statistical data and by the evidence surrounding high-profile police-connected deaths such as Floyd’s and Taylor’s.
It also fails to explain how one statement somehow undermines the truth of the other.
Unfortunately, this sentiment has become the prevailing thought among the Left, and anyone who says otherwise is accused of racism.
In an opinion piece for CNN, writer Paxton K. Baker claimed responding to “Black Lives Matter” with “All Lives Matter” “delegitimizes the movement,” but offered little explanation to justify his claim.
Even retailers have been forced to make a choice between the two phrases. Earlier this year, Walmart announced it would no longer sell products that feature “All Lives matter” because the phrase purportedly minimized “the focus on the painful reality of racial inequity,” but provided no elaboration as to how. According to CNN, Walmart was prompted to remove the merchandise after social media backlash in which users accused the retailer of “mocking” the Black Lives Matter movement.
