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! – 89% of HR employees expect solidarity with Black Lives Matter
As Black Lives Matter protests continue to rage on, companies are under immense pressure to declare their support – with press silence speaking volumes in itself.
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – For the First Time, America May Have an Anti-Racist Majority
The best analogue to the current moment is the first and most consequential American racial awakening—Reconstruction in 1868. The story of that awakening offers a guide, and a warning.
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – Black Lives Matter forces South African sports to face racist past
The Black Lives Matter movement has forced South African sports to take a hard look at its post-apartheid history and the dissension between former teammates in a county still trying to heal from its racist past.
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – Unions threaten nationwide work stoppages in support of BLM
Ahead of Labor Day, unions representing millions across several working-class sectors are threatening to authorize work stoppages in support of the Black Lives Matter movement amid calls for concrete measures that address racial injustice.
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – 93% of BLM Protests Have Been Peaceful
The vast majority of Black Lives Matter protests—more than 93%—have been peaceful, according to a new report published by a nonprofit that researches political violence and protests across the world.
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – How to Make Black Lives Really Matter, with Michael Harriot & Jamon Jordan
Join YES! and Colorlines for “This Uprising: How to Make Black Lives Really Matter,” a virtual discussion with Michael Harriot of The Rootand historian Jamon Jordan.
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – The Rich History of African American Activism in WI
While today’s demonstrations in Kenosha are distinctly modern, with activists holding Black Lives Matters signs and cellphones recording violence as it unfolds, Wisconsin’s protests for racial justice have roots starting in the 19th century.
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – DHS Says It’s “Working On” A Black Lives Matter Crackdown
After months of Donald Trump recycling Fox News lines equating those protesting racial injustice to domestic terrorists, the president’s acting Department of Homeland Security secretary appeared on Tucker Carlson’s show to tease the department’s mass-arrest plan.
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – Black National Convention builds unity for Black liberation
The Movement for Black Lives (M4BL) and the Electoral Justice Project joined forces to bring together Black organizers and activists from across the country Aug. 29th, for the 2020 Black National Convention (BNC), a multi-hour broadcast filled with energy, celebration, education, electoral justice, and a vision for Black lives.
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – 19 Families Purchased Land To Create A City Safe for Black People
In Toomsboro, Georgia a group of 19 Black families banded together to create what has the potential to be the next Black Wall Street. This completely flips Toomsboro’s awful identity, being home of the first documented lynching of a black woman in GA, to one of great hope and inspiration.
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