I Will Light You Up

Today's Sandy speaks is going to focus, directly, on my white people.

White people—yes—black people know that all lives matter. But what I need you guys to understand, is, that being a black person in America is very, very hard. Although you all love to say, "Oh, nobody should see race, people are the reason that racism is still alive", well, what kind of people are the reason?

Black racists have no power. Whereas white racists, do. They have power because they are in positions of control, or they're in positions where they can influence control, over black people. Yes, that is very true. So to my friends who want to get on my videos, or they're upset about the picture than I've posted—oh well. I will not apologise for it. Because at the moment, black lives matter. They matter.

Our media is showing you, obviously they don't. For you all that say all lives matter, I want you to go put it on a poster and stand out on a corner somewhere. If we can get enough white people to show that all lives matter, maybe they'll stop killing our black brothers. Because obviously that's what it's going to take, for the white people to get up and get tired of black people saying black lives matter. So if you all want it to stop, you get out there and do something about it. But what you're not going to do is get on my page with the foolishness. You will be deleted, you will be unfriended.

I am not a racist. I grew up in Villa Park, Illinois, was the only black girl on an all white cheerleading squad, so I had to learn how to deal with—and—black people, you will not be successful in this world until you learn how to work with white people. But I want the white folks out there to really understand out there, black people are truly... we're doing, we're doing as much as can. Not all of us, but some of us are doing as much as can, and we can't help but get pissed off, when we see situations where it's clear the black life didn't matter. For those of you questioning why was he running away—well god damn. Because in the news we've seen as of late, you could stand there, surrender to the cops, and still be killed. So for those of you, who feel all lives matter, if you want to put it on a poster, I will stand out there with you. But if you’re not ready to do that, do not get on my page with it. Plain and simple

You might have a black friend or two, and I'm not calling all white people racist because y'all not. But for the ones who want to get on my page talking about all lives matter. Show me in American history where all lives have mattered. Show me where there has been liberty and justice for all. Like that fucking pledge of allegiance we love to say. And excuse my French, because Sandy speaks don't usually cuss. But I was really irritated by the responses to the post that I made earlier, because… white people, if all lives mattered, would there need to be hashtag for black lives mattering? Think about that, just truly think about that. Yes, black on black crime numbers are extremely high. Yes they are, but that is because there are uneducated people who are hell-bent on extermination. I am not not one of them. I am into building up my kings and queens. So for me, black lives matter. And then subset, all lives matter.

Take it or leave it. Sandy speaks.

Sandra Bland, 1987—2015