Black Lives Matter, sometimes shortened to “BLM,” is an anti-racist movement that highlights racism and the disparities that evolve from racism, including police brutality and other anti-Black violence. Black Lives Matter gained popularity online after the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer was recorded and shared by a bystander. In response to the video, which shows officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, protests erupted around the world. These protests were often met with police violence, some of which has been declared illegal while protestors have been falsely arrested.
The momentum continued to draw attention to police violence, both as more Black lives were taken and as previous stories came to light. Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and Breonna Taylor are also victims who the movement has recognized. Thanks to the attention given to these cases, some of the perpetrators have finally faced justice, including Derek Chauvin, who has been convicted with murder.
BLM also encouraged police reform and greater investigations into policing, with some activists calling for reparations or to defund the police and reroute funds to other social programs that may be more effective. The movement has further brought attention to international conflict and raised funds during the COVID-19 pandemic. In some ways, the movement reflects the previous Civil Rights Movement, which lasted through the 1960s to 1980s including the Black Panther Party, which provided community assistance. Because of this, the movement has been recognized for its historical significance.
However, the movement has come under fire for protests that turned violent, for focusing too much on Black men, and for mismanaging funds raised.
A nonprofit organization, The Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, also exists. Some people may refer to it as simply “Black Lives Matter.”
See all of our Black Lives Matter content below, starting with the most recent.
Posts Tagged ‘Black Lives Matter (BLM)’
Jasmine Crowe’s Free Grocery Store in Atlanta Aids in the Fight to End Hunger
By Okla Jones, TheRoot.com The free grocery store in Ronald McNair Middle School includes food, toiletries and clothing, serving about 80 families a week. Atlanta—the Black Mecca, as some folks call it—is a place people of color have moved to in order to gain success. The city is filled with multiple Fortune 500 businesses, a budding economy,…
Read More10-Year-Old Black Girl Handcuffed and Arrested for ‘Offensive’ Drawing of Her School Bully
The ACLU claims the girl was handcuffed with excessive force in front of her classmates and officers wouldn’t let her speak to her mother.
Read MoreNFL, Players Agree to End ‘Race Norming’ in $1B Concussion Settlement
against Black players, and now it appears we have our answer. The landmark settlement will also revisit prior claims and adjust those findings accordingly.
Read MoreProsecutors Rest Their Case in Trial Over Police Stun Gun Death of Eurie Martin
Witnesses recall the officers yelling at Martin while he was face down on the ground and tasing him repeatedly, sometimes for as long as two minutes at a time.
Read More4 Georgia Deputies Placed on Leave After Black Man Dies a Week After His Arrest
Jermaine Jones Jr. was taken to the hospital by officers after what they call a “brief struggle.” Jones spent one week in a coma and died on Oct. 18.
Read MoreLouisiana deputy shown slamming Black woman to ground by her braids in viral video
In the video, an unidentified JPSO deputy is seen holding Shantel Arnold’s wrist as she is lying on her back on the sidewalk. In the graphic and disturbing video, the deputy is seen dragging Arnold along the pavement. He then lifts her up and slams her to the ground several times.
Read MoreBlack Girls and Women Killed At Rate of 4 Per Day In 2020 As Homicides Increased
The FBI and CDC found that Black girls and women were the most often killed among female demographics last year.
Read MoreMan arrested for allegedly vandalizing George Floyd statue
Michael Beals has been charged with criminal mischief for defacing the bronze-finished bust of Floyd on Oct. 3 in Union Square Park.
Read MoreDOJ Announces New Limits on Chokeholds and No-Knock Warrants
By Rachel Pilgrim, TheRoot.com The agency acknowledged that the tactics lead to unnecessary deaths but doesn’t outright ban them in the new directive. In the past year, the calls to end fatal encounters with law enforcement have only gotten louder. Many of the physical restraints and apprehension tactics that result in the unnecessary deaths of Black…
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – Lawsuit Filed Over Century-Old Confederate Statue in the Majority-Black City of Tuskegee, Alabama
Macon County officials covered the base of a Confederate statue, Friday, June 12, 2020, in Tuskegee, Ala., after it was vandalized with spray-painted obscenities. The Alabama county is seeking to remove the statue that sits in a town square. Photo: Kim Chandler (AP)
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