Coming Together, in alliance with other local individuals, from time to time sponsors a Black Lives Matter banner across South Pleasant Street in downtown Amherst. When we say “black lives matter”, some people hear us saying that black lives matter more than other lives. That’s not what we, or others, are saying. We are saying, as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wrote, “We would like to create a country in which black lives matter as much as white lives in terms of physical safety, education, job opportunities, criminal prosecution and political power.” We think it is important that those of us who live in the Amherst area be in discussion with each other about these ideas and their implementation both locally and nationally. What are your thoughts?
