The Age of BLM is Over

In 2014, the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement was founded on a lie: “Hands up, don’t shoot.” This narrative, which suggested that Michael Brown was shot by police in Ferguson, Missouri, while his hands were up in surrender, was later debunked by multiple investigations, including, most notably, the Obama Administration’s Department of Justice. Yet, despite the lack of evidence, this falsehood became a rallying cry, setting the stage for a movement that would later reveal itself as deeply flawed.

BLM, from its inception, has proven itself to be not just about advocating for racial justice but also as a vehicle for promoting anti-American and anti-white rhetoric, division, and chaos. Founded on anti-family and Marxist principles, the movement’s influence has been equal parts destructive and disastrous.

BLM protests often turned violent, leading to widespread rioting, looting, violence, and destruction in cities like Minneapolis, Portland, and Seattle. The summer of 2020 stands as a testament to this, where businesses were destroyed, black citizens and black children were killed, and communities were left to rebuild from the ashes of misguided activism.

On campuses, BLM has pushed for policies and curricula that prioritize racial identity over merit, leading to a culture where “diversity statements” are required for academic positions, essentially acting as modern-day loyalty oaths. This has not only stifled free speech but has also sown seeds of racial division among students and faculty, undermining the very principles of academic freedom and meritocracy.

Even Christian institutions have not been spared. Many evangelical churches, who so desperately wanted to appear progressive and “loving,” adopted BLM rhetoric, which directly conflicted with Christian teachings of unity and forgiveness. This led to a split within congregations, where traditional Christian values are sometimes overshadowed by political activism, turning spiritual sanctuaries into battlegrounds for ideological warfare.

The prosecution of Daniel Penny embodies the extreme to which BLM’s ideology has gone. Here was a man, a former Marine, who stepped in on a New York subway to protect frightened passengers from a man, Jordan Neely, who was acting erratically and threatening. Penny employed a chokehold, a technique from his military training, in what was clearly an act of self-defense and defense of others. Yet, he was vilified, charged, and put on trial for manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide, not because of the evidence but because he fit the narrative of white oppression that BLM has peddled.

Penny’s prosecution was not just unjust, it was a travesty — an attempt to make an example out of a good Samaritan for the sake of political ideology. The jury’s decision to acquit Penny on the charge of criminally negligent homicide, however, marks a significant turning point. This verdict is not merely about one man’s innocence but symbolizes the broader rejection of the divisive, race-based narratives pushed by BLM.

The reaction from New York BLM leaders following Penny’s acquittal was telling. Calling for “Black vigilantes to hunt down and kill White New Yorkers” in response to a just and fair legal verdict reveals the moral bankruptcy at the core of this movement. This isn’t advocacy for the disenfranchised; it is vengeance cloaked in the rhetoric of racial justice. Such calls do not heal racial divides; they exacerbate them, showing that BLM, at its heart, is not about uplifting all lives but about promoting a narrow, racially divisive agenda.

Penny’s acquittal sends a clear message: America is tired of being held hostage by fear, division, and the manipulation of racial narratives for political gain. The age of BLM, with its tactics of intimidation and its Marxist underpinnings, is fading. It’s over.

Instead, the age of Daniel Penny has arrived, where acts of bravery and responsibility are recognized and rewarded, not punished, signaling hope for a society that values justice over ideology. The movement has been exposed for what it truly is, and in this exposure, it has lost its grip on our collective conscience. It’s time to move forward, focusing on true equality, not on reversing racial injustices with new ones.

Christians, guided by biblical principles of justice and truth, should wholeheartedly welcome the exoneration of Daniel Penny. As pastor and theologian David Schrock said, “Daniel Penny is a Good Samaritan hero and a model American.” His act of courage, protecting the vulnerable in a moment of chaos, resonates with the Christian call to stand up for one’s neighbor in times of need.

The justice served in Penny’s acquittal stands in stark contrast to the divisive and often hateful rhetoric perpetuated by BLM. Christians must reject this movement, not because it stands for racial justice but because it has been co-opted for Marxist ideologies and has sown discord rather than unity.

Our faith calls for reconciliation, not revenge; for love, not hatred; for the acknowledgment of all lives, not the elevation of one race over another. In embracing the justice of Penny’s innocence, Christians affirm their commitment to these values, choosing to stand on the side of truth and righteousness over political expediency and racial division.

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