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)’
Special News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – Federal Investigators Join Probe Into Casey Goodson Shooting Death
The Department of Justice announced Tuesday it is joining the investigation into the death of 23-year-old Casey Goodson, a Black man who was shot and killed by law enforcement in Columbus, Ohio, on December 4th, 2020.
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – In a year of BLM protests, Dutch wrestle (again) with the tradition of Black Pete
The ambivalence surrounding Black Pete’s status in the Netherlands is not an isolated issue. Rather, it mirrors an international unease about the function and significance of blackface images and performances globally.
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – ‘MLK/FBI’ Director Sam Pollard on Filmmaking After BLM: ‘You’ve Got to Keep Pushing’
The Oscar nominee and three-time Emmy winner, Sam Pollard shares how the time is right for “MLK/FBI,” similarities between King’s time and now and why we have to keep pushing through the “continual struggle.”
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – BLM helped shape the 2020 election. The movement now has its eyes on Georgia.
Founder Patrisse Cullors on the Senate runoffs, the impact of the protests, and what the movement wants from the Biden administration.
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – Black Lives Matter OKC Demands Justice After Teen Suspect Shot, Killed By OCPD
Black Lives Matter is demanding justice for 15-year-old, Stavian Rodriguez, shot and killed by six OKC police officers. “It is appalling…”
Read MoreToo Many of Them Have Been Wrong’: Black Ex-Prosecutor Exposes Misdeeds of Los Angeles Legal System In Volume of Online Stories
A former LA proscecutor’s online memoir details his “good fight” against an “assembly-line of incarceration.”
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – BLM urges Gov. Newsom to appoint Black woman to fill Kamala Harris’ Senate seat
Sen. Kamala Harris is set to make history as the first Black woman vice president — which means her Senate seat will soon be open. Black Lives Matter is calling on Gov. Newsom to replace Harris with another Black woman.
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – After Biden win, Black activists demand reparations for slavery, police reform
After a tumultuous election year victory, one that both gave rise to a new civil rights movement in response to the death of George Floyd and saw Black Americans suffer disproportionately from the COVID-19 pandemic and staggeringly high unemployment, Black Lives Matter activists are asking the new administration to make Black matters paramount.
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – What now for BLM? Whatever happens under Biden, the role of African American women will be vital
President Donald Trump has been voted out of office, but the issues at the heart of Black Lives Matter remain as critical as ever. Black women will be central in this next chapter of American history.
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – Got into politics after the Ferguson protests. She just became the first Black woman to represent MO in Congress
Cori Bush, a progressive community leader and veteran Black Lives Matter activist, won a House seat in Missouri, becoming the state’s first Black woman to represent the state in Congress.
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