American Airlines to Allow Crew Members to Wear Black Lives Matter Pins

American Airlines announced Monday that employees will be allowed to wear Black Lives Matter pins on their uniforms.

CBS News reports that the move came after employees requested permission to wear the pins after seeing employees at other airlines doing so. The company allows employees to wear up to three pins on their uniform, with pins representing religious groups, military service and LGBTQ groups already allowed. The company is currently working with its Black Professional Network to create its own BLM pin for employees to wear.

“American Airlines believes in equity and inclusion for all,” the company said in a statement announcing the move. They added that allowing the pins be worn “underscores our belief that all people, regardless of race, gender or ethnicity, deserve to be treated with equality and respect.”

This is a notable change of pace for the company that only three years ago had a travel advisory placed on it by the NAACP, citing its then concerning treatment of Black passengers. The NAACP removed the advisory after the company made some internal changes, including mandatory implicit bias training.

Predictably, a certain segment of white folks and bootlickers on Twitter had beef with this, asking the age-old questions, “What about blue lives matter pins, huh?” and “What about a white lives matter pin? Huh, bro? Huh?”

I really hope the trash fire that is Spirit Airlines announces a ban on BLM pins just to see how far those folks are willing to go to protest this move.

American Airlines is the latest company to show support for the Black Lives Matter movement this year. The NBA signed an agreement with players in June that allows them to place social justice messages on the back of their jerseys. That same month, Starbucks announced plans to make Black Lives Matter shirts that employees could wear at work.

The company isn’t the only airline taking a stand against racism. Delta Airlines upgraded the flight of a Black passenger after she continually harassed by a white lady in a Blue Lives Matter mask. The company also informed the passenger that the woman who harassed her would no longer be welcome on Delta flights.

“Fundamentally, we believe Black Lives Matter is an expression of equality, not a political statement,” American Airlines said in its statement. “It doesn’t mean other lives don’t matter, rather that in our society Black lives should matter and be valued the same as others.”