Black Lives Matter in Black and White

Written by: Veronica Randolph and Ashlynn Lehmkuhler

Ashlynn’s Perspective

My name is Ashlynn Lehmkuhler and I am a white woman who appreciates and respects black culture. When my friend Veronica Randolph asked me to write an excerpt on my perspective on black lives matter I was thrilled. I love to write and I have been wanting to express my feelings on black lives matter. As a white person, there has always been an unspoken rule, you don’t speak about racism, it’s not your place. It is time for that ideology to end. It’s time to speak up and stand up and beside my black friends and their families who have dealt with this oppression for far too long. 

The black lives matter movement has changed dramatically with the events that transpired since George Floyd’s murder. For the first time the country is coming together and joining forces to fight the injustices and oppression our black communities face daily. We have all decided to take this battle into our own hands and demand justice, not only for the black men and women who have been murdered at the hands of cops, but to demand a change in the system. A change that allows our brothers and sisters to shop freely, run in their neighborhoods without being harassed. When we talk about black lives matter it’s simply that, ensuring that no person of color is profiled in their daily lives.

 As a white woman, I  have never had to face any of these tribulations, I have never been accused of a crime, or been pulled over simply for the color of my skin. My friends all have these stories,they feel afraid and can’t live their lives in peace. This needs to change. And change comes from admitting your own biases, reflecting and then using your white shield to protect your brothers and sisters from these types of oppression.We have to choose to see our white privilege and then use it for good. Use it to speak up when you witness an injustice. If we continue to do nothing and choose that this isn’t our problem too we will have failed as friends, and as a society. 

I have seen a lot of “All lives matter” on all social media platforms, and while this is true, all lives cannot matter if black lives don’t matter. In the bible the book of Matthew has a parable of “The Lost Lamb”, I have recently found this to be the perfect, godly, way of looking at all lives matter. The parable reads, “ The son of man has come to give life to anyone who is lost- If a man own one-hundread sheep and one lamb wanders away and is lost, won’t he leave the ninety-nine grazing of the hillside and go out and thoroughly search for the one lost lamb?” Right now we have a community that has wandered, they are fearful and feel alone. We need to search for answers to this problem in our society and seek real and undeniable change. Our community is safe, let’s protect our brothers and sisters and their families who aren’t.  

Veronica’s Perspective

I wanted to step away from the topic of hot trends and dyer must-haves to talk about a very important topic. Three weeks ago a man named George Floyd was suffocated to death and murdered by Derek Chauvin, a white police officer in Minnesota. For me, I desperately wished that this tragedy was some sort of shocking, first occurrence, but unfortunately this is one of the hundreds of innocent black people that have died at the hands of an armed personal that serves in the justice system. My name is Veronica Randolph and I am a biracial woman. I am mixed with many things, one of them being black. As the weeks have gone on since Floyd’s death, I have experienced many emotions towards this situation: anger, disgust and broken-heartedness. I have seen the mourning of my people who have lost their loved one(s) to the hands of those sworn to protect people in their communities. I’ve witnessed the protests in Denver and heard the testimonies of mother’s without their sons, wives without their husbands and children without fathers. Innocent black people are constantly stolen from their families and friends too soon because of preconceived notions, stereotypes and the blindness of racism. Racism is alive and active. Racism in America affects me daily. Racism towards black people affects millions everyday. Racism affects black people in the modeling and fashion industry. If you know anyone black, racism has affected them in some form or fashion. Racism shows up in simple microaggressions like, “Wow, you’re so pretty for a black girl,” or “Black people are so loud.” Racism can also be abrupt like having a magazine that refuses to work with black creatives and only works with white people for partnerships. Racism does happen anywhere. 

I have only one thing to say on top of all of the overwhelmingly sad news of what is going on with the race conversations that are currently happening. Before any identity, I am a Christian. In 1957, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said something powerful that I personally live by, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” This is not a political problem, this is not a systemic issue, this comes down to each individual making the choice to educate themselves and being willing to be slow to anger, listening and loving everyone without condition. Love is the only thing that can change the world. Along with binding love around your heart, in the book of Psalms, chapter 82 verses 2 through 4 says, “How long will you defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked? Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” Being a Christian, black woman, I am called to love those around me and fight for those who are oppressed. I want to make a stand and speak out against the horrid racism and discrimination my people face on a daily basis. I want to thank Fashion Denver for giving Ashlynn and I this opportunity to go over both sides to a uniquely beautiful story of racism, love and Christianity.