In a valiant effort to pursue their mission of tolerance, activist group Black Lives Matter has decided to ban white people from their meetings. BLM Philly, the Philadelphia chapter of Black Lives Matter, has designated their meetings as “black only spaces.”

Yes, you read that right. Black Lives Matter — an organization whose stated goal is to oppose police brutality against black Americans— is prohibiting white people from attending their meetings. White allies who have partnered with the organization are now being marginalized because of their skin color.

Heat Street reports:

According to the “April Open Meeting” event page on Facebook, the gathering, scheduled for April 15, is aimed at discussing future initiatives and projects of the movement in which only black people are allowed to participate. “Please note that BLM Philly is a Black only space,” claims the event description.

Needless to say, BLM Philly’s decision has caused quite a controversy — even within the Black Lives Matter movement. Heat Street continues:

Popular activist on Twitter Sharika Soal, meanwhile, slammed the decision to exclude white people from the movement. She first tweeted: “All Hispanic and Whites who support #BlacklivesMatter @BLMPhilly says you are not welcome at meetings and you can’t attend,” and added that this is “messed up”.

Indeed, it is “messed up.” Black Lives Matter brands itself as an organization that fights for tolerance. However, these actions show that the organization is yet another example of the left’s policy of fighting racism with more racism. This is not the first time Black Lives Matter has taken such actions against their white supporters. At many of their protests, they force whites to stand at the back of the crowd instead of intermingling with the rest of the protesters. They have taken the issue of unarmed police shootings of black men and turned it into a vehicle with which they promote the asinine ideas of social justice warriors.

What would have happened had Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. decided that he did not want white people to be involved in the Civil Rights Movement? What if he decided to insult his white allies instead of accepting them? It is not likely that King would have made as powerful an impact if he adopted ridiculous policies such as the ones being pushed by Black Lives Matter.

In response to their critics, the organization published a document defending this absurd policy. In the first paragraph, they state:

We are unapologetically Black and believe having Black only spaces—where Black people can come together to strategize, organize, heal and fellowship without the threat of violence and co-optation—is an important part of Black liberation.

Nowhere in this text does Black Lives Matter explain why having white people at their meetings constitutes violence and co-optation. It is not surprising since leftist movements usually don’t give logical explanations in support of their claims; they expect people to accept what they say without question. Their prejudice prevents them from understanding the sincere motives of whites who want to support them. They go on to state:

To the extent that we want the contributions of others, it is to help us reach this collectively determined goal. Not being able to attend a BLM Philly meeting does not preclude anyone from supporting BLM Philly or the Movement for Black Lives.

Of course, BLM Philly is not saying that white people are not allowed to offer their support. Perish the thought! They are merely stating that white people who wish to become a part of the movement should do so from the outside. Their assertion begs the obvious question: why would white people support a movement that does not welcome them? This statement reveals one of the most insidious elements of victimhood culture: the entitlement mentality. BLM Philly believes they are entitled to the support of white people regardless of how the organization treats them. Later in the document, the group says:

Demanding access to spaces where Black people have stated that, for the health and safety of their members, they do not want you in that space, but encourage and invite you to join other spaces, isn’t being good natured. It’s upholding the idea that Black people cannot do for themselves, must be constantly monitored, and that everyone should have access to our spaces and bodies. In other words, demanding access to Black spaces means still believing that we are property of the state and exist to serve and uphold the needs of others.

Throughout the document, BLM Philly state that they wish to have “black only spaces” to heal and to protect the safety of their members. They fear that a white presence will pose a threat to the health of black members of the group. As a black man, I believe this mentality is an embarrassing display of silliness that would disgust our ancestors. I could never imagine Dr. King — or the people who marched with him — as being afraid of white allies because they might offend his tender sensibilities. Beliefs such as these are yet another disgraceful illustration of the left’s message of victimhood.

Black Lives Matter states that white attendance at their meetings furthers the idea that “Black people cannot do for themselves.” Ironically enough, there are a group of white people who believe that black Americans are unable to fend for themselves. They are called Democrats! For decades, these whites have earned the continued loyalty of the black community by perpetuating the myth that black Americans cannot achieve success without the help of liberal whites.

Let us be clear: Black Lives Matter is not an organization that cares about racism; they care about promoting the leftist agenda. While the media touts the group as a bulwark in today’s civil rights movement, Black Lives Matter has been functioning as another useful tool for the left. Their divisive behavior does not promote unity; indeed, it only serves to fuel racial animosity. Hopefully, after seeing Black Lives Matter for what it is, more Americans will reject their message of perpetual victimhood.