Back in 2013, three trailblazing Black organizers, Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tomei created the Black Lives Matter movement. Conceived as a Black-centered political will and movement building project, it originally started being a hashtag in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer, George Zimmerman.
Mission Statement
Black Lives Matter constitutes an ideological and political intervention for a world in which Black Lives are systematically targeted and destroyed. It also serves as an affirmation of the humanity and beauty of Black people and their significant contributions to our society.
Black Lives Matters also affirms the lives of Black queer and trans folks, disabled folks, undocumented folks, folks with records, women, and all Black lives along the gender spectrum as well.
Birth of the Black Lives Matter Movement
When Mike Brown was murdered by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson in 2014, Darnell Moore and Patrisse Cullors organized a national ride during Labor Day weekend. Called the Black Life Matters ride, it aimed to support the courageous community in Ferguson and St. Louis, Missouri. Over 600 people gathered to support the local community in Ferguson, with the additional goal to go back to their respective homes and carry on the work there. After the events in Ferguson, 18 different chapters were set up across the country.
Black Lives Matter Global Network
Soon after, the Black Lives Matter Global Network infrastructure was founded as a global organization in the U.S., U.K., and Canada with the aim to eradicate white supremacy, as well as intervene on the violence inflicted by the state and vigilantes on Black Communities.
2020
In the summer of 2020 in the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the world was distraught to see the how George Floyd was senslessly murdered. This, along with the deaths of Breonna Taylor and countless other unarmed Black African Americans led to a massive movement across the U.S. and the whole world. Appalled by the situation and exhausted by the continued tragedy and injustice Black folks have to face on a daily basis, people took to the streets to make their voices heard. Communities across the globe united to protest and demand change. The resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement raised awareness of police brutality in the U.S., united people across the country and the planet, inspired legislation at the federal and state level, and initiated confederate monument removals.
Where is the Black Lives Matter movement now?
After being reinvigorated by the massive support and protests that occurred in 2020, the movement’s backing decreased in the U.S. from September 2020 onwards. According to a Pew Research Center survey, now only around 55% of U.S. adults show support for the cause.
Although it is normal for support to ebb and flow in every movement, the decrease in public backing may be in part due to the internal struggles and the changing structure within. Additionally, since the organization has shifted to a more centralized structure, many Black Lives Matter chapters have had trouble staying afloat and have called for more financial transparency and backing.
What can be done?
Though leaps and bounds have been made by the Black Lives Matter movement since its inception, in particular with the revitalization that took place in 2020, there is still a lot of work to be done. People’s eyes have been opened and they are now aware of the cause, but now that the protests are over what is being done?
A lot of political leaders and lawmakers supported the movement back in 2020, and promised that concrete change would happen through laws enacting it into reality. Although there has been some change, it is not enough. Many of the politicians that spoke out and tweeted in favor of Black Lives Matter have remained silent since. This begs the question if it was all just performative activism?
That is why Rodney Diverlus, co-founder of Black Lives Matter Canada states:
“Now is the time for us to be asking: Where are those changes?” and he urges “ Now is really an opportunity to keep putting pressure on our politicians. Those signed Black Lives Matter Statements, those who signed tweets and said ‘Yes, we are with you’”.
It is important to keep doing the work and holding leaders and politicians accountable for their actions. On a more personal note it is also pivotal that we keep each other accountable and keep working to uphold everything that has been learned in the preceding years.
We can begin by asking: What can we do in our everyday life to keep educating ourselves and bring forth a positive change? How can we be actual allies and be active within our communities? What can we do and how can we be of service to amplify the Black Lives Matter movement and Black voices?
Additional Resources:
Learn more at:
https://blacklivesmatter.com/resources/
For Black History Month 2022, Masterclass is offering Black History, Black Freedom, and Black Love to stream for free:
Sources:
About – black lives matter. (n.d.). Retrieved February 9, 2022, from https://blacklivesmatter.com/about/
Herstory – Black Lives matter. (n.d.). Retrieved February 9, 2022, from https://blacklivesmatter.com/herstory/
Horowitz, J. M. (2021, September 27). Support for Black Lives Matter declined after George Floyd protests, but has remained unchanged since. Pew Research Center. Retrieved February 9, 2022, fromhttps://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/09/27/support-for-black-lives-matter-declined-after-george-floyd-protests-but-has-remained-unchanged-since/
Kwasi Konadu Professor in Africana & Latin American Studies, & Bright Gyamfi Doctoral candidate in History. (2022, January 14). Black lives matter: How far has the movement come? The Conversation. Retrieved February 9, 2022, from https://theconversation.com/black-lives-matter-how-far-has-the-movement-come-165492
Rhoden, G., & Iyer, K. (2022, February 5). How Trayvon Martin’s life and death inspired a generation to fight for Justice. CNN. Retrieved February 9, 2022, from https://www.cnn.com/2022/02/05/us/trayvon-martin-birthday-peace-walk/index.html
CBC News . (2021). What the Black Lives Matter movement looks like in 2021. Youtube . Retrieved February 6, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpHbhVE1yTU.
