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)’
Corporate America’s $50 billion promise
After the death of George Floyd, corporate America promised African American’s millions of dollars towards economic development, but has it been successful?
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up for Justice! – Congress approves bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday
The United States will soon have a new federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery. The House voted 415-14 Wednesday to make Juneteenth, or June 19th, the 12th federal holiday.
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up for Justice! – Black Lives Matter protesters make Palestinian struggle their own
BLM recently came out in support of Palestinians’ fight for liberation. A rally in New York City linking defunding the NYPD with ending aid to Israel highlights a growing awareness that these anti-colonial struggles connect us all.
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – A Timeline of What Has Happened in the Year Since George Floyd’s Death
The country has both struggled to confront its history of racial division while continuing to succumb to it. Here’s a look back at all that has transpired since the killing of Mr. Floyd.
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – George Floyd’s Family Meets With Biden Amid Negotiations Over Police Reform Bill
President Biden lauded the courage of George Floyd’s family after meeting with them on the first anniversary of his murder by a Minneapolis police officer, a killing that launched protests and calls for police reform nationwide.
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up For Justice! -‘I allowed myself to feel guilty for a very long time’: the teenage cashier who took George Floyd’s $20
A year ago, Christopher Martin took an allegedly counterfeit bill. The police were called, and shortly after, Floyd would be dead.
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – BLM Backlash: The nation’s racial reckoning meets bitter resistance at a high school in FL named for a Confederate
“This is not an isolated incident. This is happening to teachers across the U.S. And it’s not just about the teachers, it’s about the students and the chilling effect that these schools are having on their right to a quality education and a safe learning environment.”
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – Columbus city council approves $10 million settlement with family of Andre Hill
A $10 million settlement between the family of Andre Hill and the city of Columbus, Ohio, was approved in a city council vote on May 17th, formalizing a deal announced a week earlier.
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – As the Palestinian minority takes to the streets, Israel is having its own BLM moment
As in the United States, a brutalized minority group, facing systemic racism and discriminatory acts, has taken to the streets. And, as in the United States, the only way out starts with serious soul-searching on the part of the majority.
Read MoreWho Benefits From Watching Black Trauma on Screen?
What will it take for Black girls to exist as children on and off screen, without making them into adults to justify violence against them?
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