Justice

This 'OITNB' Star Nails The Problem With #AllLivesMatter

July 20th 2015

Though his "Orange is the New Black" character John Bennett is a moral disappointment in season three, actor Matt McGorry is not afraid to do the right thing in real life. Following the one-year anniversary of Eric Garner's death this weekend, New York City native McGorry posted a stream of tweets and a long Facebook post explaining the significance of the #BlackLivesMatter movement. He added that #AllLivesMatter takes away from the important message #BlackLivesMatter is trying to send with regards to racial equality and justice.

McGorry went on to publish a slew of tweets about the true motivation behind #AllLivesMatter, which he feels does a disservice to the Black community's fight for equality. He strung his tweet ideas together in this detailed Facebook post:

 

"[I]t's like going to an AIDS walk and shouting 'All Diseases Matter!'" he wrote. "Some people think they are being more inclusive by saying #AllLivesMatter in response to #BlackLivesMatter but in reality, they're (un)consciously undermining the purpose of the movement. Because this PARTICULAR movement is about SPECIFIC issues, as any decently effective movement is. You can't just have a protest for 'Make Everything In The World Better!' How can you have an effective protest that's about gender equality, animal rights, racial equality, and saving the environment? Pro-tip: you can't. Because that's not how getting shit done works. And I've never seen #AllLivesMatter promoted by someone who ACTUALLY fights for racial equality. So someone getting up in arms bc of #BlackLivesMatter while they sit on the sidelines and do nothing for black lives or anyone's other than their own is not actually promoting that 'All Lives Matter (equally)' as much as they're trying to take down the idea that #BlackLivesMatter and denying its necessity and value."

He is also self-aware. McGorry acknowledged in another tweet that he fights for equality from a privileged position:

For more on Eric Garner's story and #BlackLivesMatter, watch ATTN:'s video on what has transpired since Garner's death:

 

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