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)’
Ahmaud Arbery’s mother settles with foundation raising funds in son’s name
Ahmaud Arbery’s mother, Wanda Cooper-Jones reaches a court agreement to recieve the money that an organization raised without her permission in her sons honor. Ahmaud Arbery was fatally shot by white supremacists while taking a jog in February 2020.
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – What We Know About the Killing of Andrew Brown Jr. in North Carolina
The killing of a 42-year-old Black man in coastal North Carolina by sheriff’s deputies is being scrutinized by state and federal authorities, and Gov. Roy Cooper has called for a special prosecutor to take over the case from a local district attorney.
Read MoreBones of Black children killed in police bombing used in Ivy League anthropology course
Remains of those killed in 1985 Move bombing in Philadelphia serve as ‘case study’ in Princeton-backed course.
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up for Justice! – Floyd verdict gives hope, if only fleeting, to Black America
African-Americans across the United States rejoiced over the results of the Dereck Chauvin, but the reformation of policing is still needed.
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – Derek Chauvin Verdict Brings a Rare Rebuke of Police Misconduct
A jury deliberated for just over 10 hours before pronouncing Mr. Chauvin guilty on all three charges: second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
Read MoreUS police and public officials donated to Kyle Rittenhouse, data breach reveals
A data breach revealed that US police and public officials donated to Kyle Rittenhouse’s defense fund. Rittenhouse stands accused of murdering two protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – What to Know About the Death of Daunte Wright
A police officer fatally shot Mr. Wright in Brooklyn Center, Minn., about 10 miles from where Derek Chauvin is on trial in the killing of George Floyd.
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – Opinion: I want to believe justice is possible in Derek Chauvin’s trial.
After hearing such clinical, heartbreaking, infuriating detail about George Floyd’s final agonies, I want to believe justice is possible in the Derek Chauvin trial. I want to believe the jurors heard what I heard and felt what I feel.
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – CDC Director Declares Racism A ‘Serious Public Health Threat’
“Racism is a serious public health threat that directly affects the well-being of millions of Americans,” declared the head of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “As a result, it affects the health of our entire nation. Racism is not just the discrimination against one group based on the color of their skin or their race or ethnicity, but the structural barriers that impact racial and ethnic groups differently to influence where a person lives, where they work, where their children play, and where they worship and gather in community. These social determinants of health have life-long negative effects on the mental and physical health of individuals in communities of color.
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – BLM protest officer-involved shooting at Virginia Beach Oceanfront
Black Lives Matter 757 held a protest Saturday night regarding the recent officer-involved shooting and death of Donovon Lynch at the Virginia Beach oceanfront.
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