Terry Crews Attacked for Hoping ‘Black Lives Matter Doesn’t Morph into Black Lives Better’

FILE - In this April 10, 2018, file photo, actor Terry Crews appears on the floor of the N
AP Photo/Richard Drew, File
Alana Mastrangelo

Actor Terry Crews is facing fire for saying he hopes “Black Lives Matter doesn’t morph into Black Lives Better,” suggesting that the Black Lives Matter movement may be holding black lives at a higher standard than those of other races.

“If you are a child of God, you are my brother and sister. I have family of every race, creed and ideology,” tweeted Crews on Tuesday. “We must ensure [black lives matter] doesn’t morph into [black lives better].”

Users on Twitter fired back at the Brooklyn Nine-Nine star, insisting that the Black Lives Matter movement is about treating all races equally.

“We’re so far from that bridge, Terry,” tweeted Martin Luther King Jr.’s daughter Bernice King. “#BlackLivesMatter is, in part, a rallying cry and a protest slogan to galvanize people into doing the justice work needed to derail the deaths, dehumanization and destruction of Black lives that racism causes. Justice is not a competition.”

“Gah. You could have left out that last sentence,” added another Twitte user. “No one wants to be better. We want to be treated fairly and equal.”

“can we climb the mountain that it will take to make Black lives actually matter before you start worrying about a slippery slope on the other side of it?” added a comedian known as Felonious Munk.

“Terry — we trying to ‘matter’ and get to ‘equal’ and you are worried about better??” added actress Holly Robinson Peete.

“Actually, what’s wrong with a #BlackLivesBetter hashtag?” countered another individual. “Why not better Black safety, health, finance, education etc? Why not prioritize our healing- after 400 years of building this country through blood, sweat, and tears?”

Not everyone, however, agreed with the those criticizing Crews’ initial statement.

“thank you Terry for this message of unity at time when the left is trying to create racial division #BlackLivesMatter does not represent blacks,” sad one Twitter user.

“It is a Marxist organization funded by leftist white billionaires,” she added. “All the $millions they have raised are going to rich white liberals.”

Tuesday’s tweet was not the only time Terry Crews faced backlash on social media this month. A few weeks ago the actor had fallen under scrutiny once more over a tweet in which he made a statement about “black supremacy.”

“Defeating White supremacy without White people creates Black supremacy,” the America’s Got Talent host said. “Equality is the truth. Like it or not, we are all in this together.”

You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, on Parler at @alana, and on Instagram.

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