Home > Essays > Noel Night and Black Lives Matter
By Alonso del Arte, November 29, 2015
The first time I heard a white person say "all lives matter" was at Noel Night last year. This immediately struck me as being wrong somehow, but I couldn't articulate why. In addition to the usual cluelessness that goes along with that statement, there was annoyance that the Black Lives Matter protest at last year's Noel Night in Detroit was distracting from the celebratory mood of Noel Night.
But if Noel Night is not the time to hear the Black Lives Matter message, when is? Will the protesters always be told "not now"? I don't know if there will be a Black Lives Matter protest at this year's Noel Night. If there is, I hope they are met with greater understanding and empathy than last year.