Black Lives Matter is a manifestation of our drive for fairness, and it provides us meaning.

Meaning can be and often is separate from happiness. The lives of everyone, including black people, are better now in 2020 than they were in 1950 or 1900 or 1850. We are all wealthier and healthier than our ancestors within the same socioeconomic statuses. Overall we’re even happier.

But I don’t think Black Lives Matter is about that. It has more to do with meaning. Yes we are all better off now, but there is still massive inequality that is perpetuated by the very institutions designed to uphold justice. Unfairness is widespread and rampant. There are rules and laws and systems in place that make this so. This is the purpose into which I hope the current civil unrest transforms: to eliminate such discriminatory unfairness, and to create a rising tide that lifts all boats.

It all goes back to where it all started—the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the founding values of this country. These ideals and documents still hold a sway over us, because they are meaningful. We believe in their decrees: that all humans are created equal, that we all have a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. (We must reword the Constitution to incorporate all of humankind within its declarations, not just men or those who own property.)

I’ve said before, the current civil unrest is good for us. It may be painful, but it’s necessary. It’s making us better. It will enable us to move closer to our fundamental ideals. It will result in a fair society, in which we are truly treated equally, regardless of the color of our skin.

We have serious work to do. Lucky for us, we are well off and have the technology to engage in a nationwide discourse, we have the tools to disseminate information and promote awareness. We are at a pivotal moment in the world’s history, and that can give us meaning. It’s important to remember that. By ensuring our children grow up in a fair world, one in which they have the freedom to be happy, we can appropriate our own meaning and happiness.