Yes, all lives matter.

And anyone with any sense can agree. However, those who think Black Lives Matter should be changed to All Lives Matter are missing the point entirely.

In my mind, it’s always been Black Lives Matter [Too], NOT [Only] Black Lives Matter.

Let’s face some uncomfortable facts about America: we have race is­sues and unfortunately, some people need to be reminded that the lives of African American citizens matter just as much as the lives of other citizens.

According to the Department of Justice, African Americans are about three times more likely to be searched during a traffic stop and “four times more likely to experience force during encounters with the police.” According to The Sentencing Project, one in every 106 white men can expect to be incarcerated in their lifetimes. Any guesses for the statistic for African American men?

One in every 15.

The gruesome facts are staring the American public in the face. Afri­can Americans are disproportionately represented in the legal system. This also has an impact on post-incarceration life. It makes it harder for men and women to find jobs, or jobs that pay a living wage. It can strip voting rights and further the feeling that their lives don’t matter to the establishment.

Couple that with the fact that less than one percent of Fortune 500 company CEOs are African American and more African Americans live below the poverty line than any other ethnic group, and it’s unde­niable that we need to be reminded Black Lives Matter [Too].

Whenever there is one population that feels their rights are not being protected, it’s more than likely that the feeling is justified.

Arguing that Black Lives Matter is racist and should be All Lives Matter is a distraction from the root of the movement. Black Lives Matter is dedicated to making lives better, not making all other races’ lives worse.