• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Wildflower Alliance

Wildflower Alliance

Home to the Western Mass Recovery Learning Community

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Calendar
  • About Us
    • Mission + History
    • Defining Principles
    • Guiding Council of Western Mass
    • Frequently Asked Questions
  • What We Do
    • Peer to Peer Supports
      • Centers and Respite
      • Community Bridging
      • Discord
      • Peer Support Line
    • Trainings
    • Wild Ivy Social Justice Network
    • Individual and Systems Advocacy
    • Alternative Healing Practices
    • Employment Supports & Career Initiatives
    • Housing Supports
      • Rainville
    • Direct Support and Consultations
  • Spaces
    • Afiya Peer-Run Respite
    • Greenfield
    • Holyoke
    • Pittsfield
    • Springfield
  • Publications
    • Film Productions
    • Articles
    • Books and Handbooks
    • In The News
  • Connect With Us
    • Contact & Newsletter
    • Donate
    • Payments
  • Log In

Why Are We Focusing So Much Energy on Racism?

July 22, 2016

The RLC community is made up of people who’ve experienced psychiatric diagnosis, extreme states, trauma, and a variety of other life-interrupting challenges. Unquestionably, systemic oppression leads to trauma, and interruptions in one’s ability to lead a full life. In other words, racism is trauma, and as our mission statement says, “recognizing and undoing systemic injustices such as racism, sexism, transphobia and psychiatric oppression” is essential to our work.

 
Why NOT “All Lives Matter”:
 
The issue of ‘All Lives Matters’ as a counter to ‘Black Lives Matters’ continues to arise in our community and beyond. As such, we just wanted to take a moment to offer just a few quick thoughts on why ‘All Lives Matters’ is so very problematic, and a dangerous denial of racism itself.

Arthur Chu: “What is the impulse behind changing #BlackLivesMatter to #AllLivesMatter? Do you crash a strangers funeral shouting I TOO HAVE FELT LOSS?”

GeekAesthete (Reddit User): “Imagine that you’re sitting down to dinner with your family, and while everyone else gets a serving of the meal, you don’t get any. So you say “I should get my fair share.” And as a direct response to this, your dad corrects you, saying, “everyone should get their fair share.”

All Houses Matter

For more on this topic see: “What you Mean by #AllLivesMatter” by Arielle Newton.

Filed Under: Community Happenings

Footer

Our Spaces

  • Afiya Peer Run Respite
  • Springfield “Bowen” Center
  • Pittsfield Center
  • Greenfield Center
  • Holyoke Center

What We Do

  • Peer to Peer Supports
  • Trainings
  • Advocacy
  • Alternative Healing Practices

General Info

  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact & Newsletter

Donate Now

Close×

Copyright Wildflower Alliance© 2023 · Log in · Wildflower Team Email