Professor Pearce submits that to answer this question, we must reflect back in history. To quote Maya Angelou “You Can’t Really Know Where You Are Going Until You Know Where You Have Been.” Professor Pearce describes how throughout U.S. history, Black lives did not matter to those that controlled the economy, and the labor movement failed to provide any respite and contributed to discrimination. This history, Professor Pearce contends, is critical in answering the question of whether Black Lives Matter is a workplace issue that should find protection under the law. A shortened version of the speech is reproduced below.