Everyone knows that all lives matter.

“Black Lives Matter” is a response to black people being shown that their lives don’t matter on a daily basis. Shooting and killing nine people in a very prominent and sacred black church was the most recent incident showing that hatred for black people persists.

This was a premeditated mass murder. The sad thing is the killer, Dylann Storm Roof, sat with the prayer group before killing the victims. How could you sit and pray with a group and then kill them inside of a church? It’s bizarre.

Anyone who says this isn’t about race is ignorant or racist themselves. The more America is oblivious to the fact that racism still exists, the more incidents like this will occur, and hence the bigger the divide between whites and people of color will become.

The murders in Charleston sparked much debate. The most interesting discussion was about whether or not to display the Confederate flag.

In the South, the flag is everywhere. I’ve even seen it at the State Capitol in Alabama. Most people reason that the flag is “tradition” and represents the Civil War. But it’s still offensive.

I think this issue is important because it was addressed last year on the University campus. A resident at Pennsylvania Avenue Residence Halls had a Confederate flag in his window that was very visible to people passing by. The young man didn’t understand why so many people were complaining and were upset with him.

Removal of the flag in states is a tricky situation. Many people will get upset because the flag holds meaning to them. But they don’t realize that the Confederate flag has more of a negative meaning, especially to African-Americans. It represents a time when people were fighting to keep blacks enslaved. Flying the flag makes the person or state look racist.

It’s uncomfortable for me to see the flag. It’s like looking at a noose or a KKK tag. It’s something that should’ve been stopped long ago.

Incidents like this are why the “Black Lives Matter” movement exists. The feelings of black people matter. Everything can’t be silenced and overlooked. The senseless killings of black people shouldn’t be thrown under the rug. Racism in this country needs to be addressed. Now that people are talking about it, I hope there will be positive changes to come.

Katrice is a junior in Media.

[email protected]