Black Lives Matter

Black Lives Matter
Logo and flag often used in the Black Lives Matter movement
Date2013–present
LocationInternational, largely in the United States
Also known as
  • Black Lives Matter movement
  • BLM
CauseRacial discrimination against black people and other minorities
MotiveAnti-racism
Outcome
Protesters lying down over rail tracks with a "Black Lives Matter" banner
A Black Lives Matter die-in over rail tracks, protesting alleged police brutality in Saint Paul, Minnesota (September 20, 2015)

Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a decentralized political and social movement[1] that seeks to highlight racism, discrimination, and racial inequality experienced by black people, and promote anti-racism. Its primary concerns are incidents of police brutality and racially motivated violence against black people.[2][3][4][5][6] It started following the killings of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and Rekia Boyd, among others. The movement and its related organizations typically advocate for various policy changes considered to be related to black liberation.[7] While there are specific organizations that label themselves simply as "Black Lives Matter", such as the Black Lives Matter Global Network, the overall movement is a decentralized network of people and organizations with no formal hierarchy.[8] The slogan "Black Lives Matter" itself remains untrademarked by any group.[9] Despite being characterized by some as a violent movement, the overwhelming majority of its public demonstrations have been peaceful.[10]

The movement began in July 2013, with the use of the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter on social media after the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting death of African American teen Trayvon Martin 17 months earlier in February 2012. It became nationally recognized for street demonstrations following the 2014 deaths of two more African Americans, Michael Brown—resulting in protests and unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, a city near St. Louis—and Eric Garner in New York City.[11][12] Since the Ferguson protests, participants in the movement have demonstrated against the deaths of numerous other African Americans by police actions or while in police custody. In the summer of 2015, Black Lives Matter activists became involved in the 2016 United States presidential election.[13] The originators of the hashtag and call to action, Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi, expanded their project into a national network of over 30 local chapters between 2014 and 2016.[14]

The movement returned to national headlines and gained further international attention during the global George Floyd protests in 2020 following his murder by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.[15][16] An estimated 15 million to 26 million people participated in the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests in the United States, making it one of the largest movements in the country's history.[17] It comprised many views and a broad array of demands but they centered on criminal justice reform.

The popularity of Black Lives Matter has shifted over time, largely due to changing perceptions among white Americans. In 2023, about 51% of adults in the United States express their support for the movement, while in 2020 some 67% of Americans expressed support for the Black Lives Matter movement.[18][19][20][21] Support among people of color has, however, held strong, with 81% of African Americans, 61% of Hispanics and 63% of Asian Americans supporting Black Lives Matter as of 2023.[18]

  1. ^ The BLM movement: What if, anything, changed? 5 Things podcast - USA Today
  2. ^ "What is Black Lives Matter and what are the aims?". BBC News. June 12, 2021. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
  3. ^ Friedersdorf, Conor. "How to Distinguish Between Antifa, White Supremacists, and Black Lives Matter." The Atlantic. August 31, 2017. August 31, 2017.
  4. ^ "Black Lives Matter". Newsweek. Retrieved August 22, 2020.
  5. ^ Banks, Chloe (November 2, 2018). "Disciplining Black activism: post-racial rhetoric, public memory and decorum in news media framing of the Black Lives Matter movement". Continuum. 32 (6): 709–720. doi:10.1080/10304312.2018.1525920. ISSN 1030-4312. S2CID 150199510.
  6. ^ Rojas, Fabio (June 20, 2020). "Moving beyond the rhetoric: a comment on Szetela's critique of the Black Lives Matter movement". Ethnic and Racial Studies. 43 (8): 1407–1413. doi:10.1080/01419870.2020.1718725. ISSN 0141-9870. S2CID 213636514.
  7. ^ Roberts, Frank (July 13, 2018). "How Black Lives Matter Changed the Way Americans Fight for Freedom". American Civil Liberties Union. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
  8. ^ Collins, Ben; Mak, Tim (August 15, 2015). "Who Really Runs #BlackLivesMatter?". The Daily Beast. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
  9. ^ Leazenby, Lauren; Polk, Milan (September 3, 2020). "What you need to know about Black Lives Matter in 10 questions". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
  10. ^ Multiple sources:
  11. ^ Day, Elizabeth (July 19, 2015). "#BlackLivesMatter: the birth of a new civil rights movement". The Guardian. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
  12. ^ Luibrand, Shannon (August 7, 2015). "Black Lives Matter: How the events in Ferguson sparked a movement in America". CBS News. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
  13. ^ Eligon, John (November 18, 2015). "One Slogan, Many Methods: Black Lives Matter Enters Politics". The New York Times. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
  14. ^ Cullors-Brignac, Patrisse Marie (February 23, 2016). "We didn't start a movement. We started a network". Medium. Retrieved December 18, 2016.
  15. ^ Eligon, John; Arango, Tim; Dewan, Shaila; Bogel-Burroughes, Nicholas (April 20, 2021). "Derek Chauvin Verdict Brings a Rare Rebuke of Police Misconduct". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 28, 2021.
  16. ^ "Protesters around the world rally for George Floyd and against police brutality". France24. June 7, 2020. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
  17. ^ Buchanan, Larry; Bui, Quoctrung; Patel, Jugal K. (July 3, 2020). "Black Lives Matter May Be the Largest Movement in U.S. History". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 3, 2020.
  18. ^ a b Beshay (June 14, 2023). "Support for the Black Lives Matter Movement Has Dropped Considerably From Its Peak in 2020". Pew Research Center’s Social & Demographic Trends Project. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
  19. ^ Parker, Kim; Horowitz, Juliana Menasce; Anderson, Monica (June 12, 2020). "Majorities Across Racial, Ethnic Groups Express Support for the Black Lives Matter Movement". Pew Research Center's Social & Demographic Trends Project. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
  20. ^ Rahman, Khaleda (May 19, 2022). "Support for Black Lives Matter plummets among African Americans: poll". Newsweek. Retrieved May 22, 2022.
  21. ^ "Civiqs". civiqs.com. Retrieved May 22, 2022.