I have been overjoyed to see the large protests reaching across this nation, all the way into the small towns and suburbs, to see the pain and outrage on faces of all colors, ages and genders, people from all walks of life.

It hit me then just how many people listen to the groove and the melody of this song, without really hearing the words.

At this moment, we have "Black Lives Matter" painted on 16th Street, leading into Lafayette Square, as a response to protests in Washington, D.C. CNN has reported on demonstrations stretching way into the heartland — in Paducah, Ky., Farmington, Mo., and State College, Pa.

Now, when he spoke at a campus Black Lives Matter rally this week, he was supportive of the cause, and he actually said one thing that was really beautiful: "I believe with all my heart that God stopped the world in 2020 so we would have perfect vision, and clearly see the social and racial injustices and the changes that need to occur in our society."

Black lives significantly matter and equally matter," qualifying the slogan in a way that pushes its meaning a little more toward "All lives matter."