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! – North Carolina police pepper spray, arrest peaceful protesters going to the polls
A peaceful rally and march to the polls in Graham, N.C. on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020 was cut short after pepper-spray was used multiple times by the police in the presence of children and elderly citizens. Several people were arrested.
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – ‘The police are making us look bad’: Protesters march through Wauwatosa
Protesters marched again through the streets of Wauwatosa calling for justice for 17-year-old Alvin Cole and demanding change in the Wauwatosa Police Department and their community.
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – What We Know About the Death of Walter Wallace Jr. in Philadelphia
On Monday afternoon, two Philadelphia police officers fatally shot Walter Wallace Jr., a 27-year-old Black man who was armed with a knife. In the nights that followed, protesters clashed with officers in the streets, and city officials imposed a curfew to try to curb the unrest.
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – ‘Why did you shoot us?’: Waukegan mayor releases videos of fatal police-involved shooting
Marcellis Stinnette, 19, was killed and his girlfriend, Tafara Williams, 20, was wounded after Waukegan police shot them in their car on Oct. 20. Police said they approached their car because it was “suspicious.” Williams said she and Stinnette had gone out to have a cigarette in their car.
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – Nigeria’s #EndSARS protesters draw inspiration from BLM movement
In Lagos, Nigeria protesters gain momentum in their movement against the rogue police group, Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) owing much to Black Lives Matter.
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up for Justice! – Breonna Taylor Grand Juror Says Homicide Charges Were Not Presented
An anonymous person on the jury of the Breonna Taylor court case believes that the homicide charges were not presented in the case.
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up for Justice! – Citizen-Led Commission Launches Community-Based Program For Police Reform in Milwaukee
Milwaukee’s 16-person Collaborative Community Commission, which includes members of the Latino, Black, LGBTQ+ and Jewish communities, is working with the Milwaukee Police Department to develop a policy for community policing, an approach that generally involves closer collaboration between law enforcement and the residents they serve.
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – Protesters in Portland Topple Statues of Lincoln and Roosevelt
Protests in Portland have persisted in the months since George Floyd was killed, sparking nationwide demonstrations for racial justice and against police brutality. While much of their focus has been on how Black people have been harmed, the protests have at times highlighted other causes, including societal reforms to address transgender rights, economic disparities and Native Americans.
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – Police Retaliate Against Cole Family with Violent Attack Sending Mother to Hospital
On night 2 of peaceful protests against the decision not to prosecute the police officer who killed teenager Alvin Cole, police arrested and brutalized Cole’s mother and two sisters — and pulled others from their cars.
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – They May Finally Arrest the Cop Responsible for Breonna Taylor’s Death
After reviewing thousands of pages concerning officers’ involvement in the death of Breonna Taylor, a Louisville investigator concluded that the entire debacle was based on a “misleading” affidavit used to obtain the search warrant for Taylor’s apartment, recommending possible criminal charges for the offending officer.
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