To the Editor:

Any lip service to the mantra that “all lives matter” rings hollow if it is positioned in opposition to “Black Lives Matter.”

The latter never claimed any exclusivity but to deny the legitimacy and indeed the urgency of Black Lives Matter (both as a movement and as a concept) displays a deeply entrenched racism and ignorance.

Far too long has American society as a whole ignored and trivialized the structural and institutional racism at its core.

Indeed, all lives matter – including the lives of African-Americans who are disproportionately targeted by discrimination, exploitation, and oppression.

The Black Lives Matter Movement is to be lauded for bringing much needed attention to this horrible situation.

Thus, I strongly support the Black Lives Matter movement and so should any decent human being.

Axel Fair-Schulz

Potsdam