Walmart will stop selling merchandise that says “All Lives Matter,” a phrase often used in opposition to the Black Lives Matter movement.
The nation’s largest retailer said it will be indefinitely halting the sale of such products after hearing from customers and employees about the intent behind the “All Lives Matter” slogan on Tuesday, according to CBS News.
“We will continue to sell other variations, including ‘Blue Lives Matter,'” a Walmart spokesperson said. “We fundamentally believe all lives do matter and every individual deserves respect. However, as we listened, we came to understand that some, but not all, people using the phrase ‘All Lives Matter’ in the current environment intentionally minimized the focus on the painful reality of racial inequity.”
Walmart’s decision comes amid a nationwide focus on racial injustice and inequality following the death of George Floyd in police custody last month. Floyd’s death sparked protests across the world that have sought to raise awareness about systemic racism and police brutality.
A number of companies have reversed policies in an effort to be more inclusive.
The Black Lives Matter organization was founded in 2013 in response to George Zimmerman being acquitted in the murder trial of Trayvon Martin. President Barack Obama’s Justice Department under Attorney General Eric Holder found “insufficient evidence” to pursue federal civil rights charges.
“A year later, we set out together on the Black Lives Matter Freedom Ride to Ferguson, in search of justice for Mike Brown and all of those who have been torn apart by state-sanctioned violence and anti-Black racism,” the group said.
