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! – California moves to consider reparations for slavery
California lawmakers are setting up a task force to study and make recommendations for reparations to African Americans, particularly the descendants of slaves, as the nation struggles again with civil rights and unrest.
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – Thousands Gather For March On Washington
Thousands of demonstrators braved sweltering temperatures in the nation’s capital on Friday to demand an overhaul of the country’s criminal justice system and push for racial equality.
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – Black Lives Matter goes big on policy agenda
The BREATHE Act is the centerpiece of the policy agenda activists are pushing after months of demonstrations over racial injustice.
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – Black Lives Matter Grows as Movement While Facing New Challenges
Demonstrations against police shootings and a March on Washington reflect a cause more enduring than many predicted.
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – Protesters gather to drown out Trump’s RNC speech
Demonstrators gathered around the White House for what was billed as a “noise demonstration and dance party” to drown out President Donald Trump’s speech accepting the Republican presidential nomination.
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – Milwaukee Bucks Lead Strike In Pro Leagues To Protest Racial Injustice
Led by the Bucks, professional sports teams in several leagues have taken their most dramatic steps yet in an effort to raise awareness about social justice issues.
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – Tennessee Passes Law That Would Punish Protestors By Taking Away Their Right to Vote
Republican lawmakers and a Republican governor have green-lit a new law in Tennessee that makes it possible for people to have their voting rights revoked as punishment for participating in protests.
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – The Black National Convention
The Movement for Black Lives (M4BL) and Electoral Justice Project will host the 2020 Black National Convention (BNC) live broadcast.
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – Texas Spent Hundreds of Hours Investigating, Finding and Arresting BLM Protesters
Special agents have spent the summer looking across social media posts, surveillance footage and YouTube videos in an effort to identify protesters they suspect of committing crimes.
Read MoreSpecial News Series: Rising Up For Justice! – Rally at Red Arrow Park draws crowd on DNC’s final day
The largest crowd of the week gathered at Red Arrow Park for an event to protest the Democratic National Convention and support the Black Lives Matters movement. Hundreds of masked individuals met in the downtown Milwaukee park where Dontre Hamilton was shot and killed by a Milwaukee police officer in 2014.
Read More