Mapping Police Violence: The Black Lives Matter Movement

Beyoncé uses “Formation” as a continuation of the story in “Freedom” by making a statement about working hard to obtain what she wants and pride in her roots, particularly her southern black heritage. She alludes to how far she has come when she says she rocks her Givenchy dress (citation). Here, she is calling attention to how far she has come and the fortune she has earned by referencing her Givenchy dresses, a luxury brand only someone well off can afford. However, she did not forget where she came from and references her heritage in the second verse when she says “My daddy Alabama, Momma Louisiana” She is

All, of the dancers in this music video are African-American, and it is very clear. None of their hair is straightened, they are all in Black Panther-esque outfits, and they are “unapologetically black.” The concept of this video is head-on addressing systemic racism. An obvious example is the dancers but there are also many more. For one, the opening scene, as referenced earlier, includes Beyoncé herself standing on a police car flooded in water while a clip saying “What happened in the New Orleans?” plays in the background. This artist is using her platform to bring attention to the hurricane in New Orleans and how there was little to nothing done by police there. She is calling out the system in this video.

Beyoncé recently released her music video on Saturday February 6, 2016. Beyoncé 's "Formation" video forms messages in text and visuals that fits today 's social issues. They call attention to the audience mainly for women and Black America. This piece of rhetoric creates meaning in society by giving us events and visuals to help the

In 2012, a 17 year-old unarmed black boy was gunned down in Florida while walking home from a gas station after getting snacks. The murder of Trayvon Martin in Sanford, FL by George Zimmerman received attention around the nation. Zimmerman was eventually put on trial for Martin’s death, but was acquitted of second-degree murder and manslaughter, which began the hashtag BlackLivesMatter. The official website, blacklivesmatter.com, describes it as “an ideological and political intervention in a world where black lives are systematically and intentionally targeted for demise. It is an affirmation of Black folk’s contributions to this society, our humanity and our resilience in the face of deadly oppression” (Black Lives Matter, n.d.). The hashtag quickly transformed into a movement in 2014 after the deaths of Michael Brown, John Crawford III and Eric Garner. All three were unarmed black men killed by police who were eventually acquitted for their murders. The Black Lives Matter movement is a call-to-action to encourage people to fight against the racial inequalities endured by black people and stand against the expectations of normality defined by white supremacy. Many have tried to debase this movement by saying that all lives mater and all lives are important. Though the Black Lives Matter Movement may be “pro-black”, it does not mean it is being anti-white or

Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi are the creators of the now famous hash tag Black Lives Matter. It was made as a call to action after George Zimmerman was not held accountable for the fatal shooting of teen Trayvon Martin in 2012. This incident was what gave life to the Black Lives Matter movement and has reframed the way Americans perceive police treatments of people of color. It was not until 2014 when it exploded all over social media after a Ferguson police officer killed a young black man named Michael Brown. The book Forces of Deviance: understanding the dark side of policing says, “African Americans tend to believe that the police were more corrupt, more unfair, harsher, tougher, less friendly, and crueler than did whites. African Americans generally were more dissatisfied with police service in comparison to the white population” (Kappeler, Sluder, & Alpert 6). Ferguson was exposed as a case study of structural racism in America and a metaphor for all that

Single, black mother teaches her son with superpowers about the world by drawing parallels from having The Talk about race. How super!

sort of case is not uncommon. You often hear the same scenario: a man refuses

The main argument of this source is that the Black Lives Matter’s objectives are being refocused by activists including the original women who started the hashtag. Not only does the article talk about the shift in the BLM movement, but it also talks about the women activist at the center of BLM. The article notes that the women who are being actively involved in the movement are also fighting for their own lives. Despite the low concern given to black women and black female activists face, many of them are victims of sexual harassment, exploitation, and assault in the streets and by the police. When the movement began, its purpose was to organize and draw the public’s attention to the stories of the victims of police brutality. As of 2015 the movement began to use strategies and tactics that would help recognize both the struggles the activists as black women and their loved ones, black

The song come out on Friday February 6, 2016, the day before the Super Bowl 50 was hosted. Through the song she embraced her blackness and the stereotype southerners have created to the black-American people and she also involved herself with the black lives matter movement. Beyoncé State,“Y’all haters corny with that illuminati mess”( Beyoncé 2016). This is a part Of the song's introduction were Beyoncé declare some words to her haters that continue to get involved in her personal life. When the song’s tempo and beat start to increase the musician wrote some lines describing her roots and her mother birthright. The female artist involved a lot of her past and family members but she also attached the different kind of problems African American people had to go through the 1900’s and still are fighting

In Philadelphia, demonstrators and protester along with the Black lives Matter movement march together that Tuesday in the street the crowd planned to marched from North Philadelphia, Temple University and several miles to send a message, near the arena where the Democratic National Convention were held, and Hillary Clinton presidential nominee would have a chance to earn their votes. However, demonstrators criticized the presidential nominee about the issue of brutality with minorities and police shooting and felt she should speak on the topic. Yet, demonstrators held signs with victim name on them that had died in police involved incident.

Black Lives Matter should focus on police violence because it can show the incompetence within the criminal justice system. According to MintPress News, it states that in 2015 alone, 161 unarmed African Americans were murdered. This is a prime example of police incompetence. Furthermore, according to the Black Lives Matter website, police have murdered African Americans at a rate that is disproportionate to their total population. The police are so poorly trained in their field of work that black men are nine times more likely to be murdered by them. With that being said, police officers should start wearing body cameras at all times and should take redevelopment classes that teaches them how to act in a situation in which the use of guns

Although the critically acclaimed album titled Lemonade received positive feedback for the way its visuals captured the struggles of black Americans, specifically black women, there is one song off the album that obviously emphasizes the adversities they are facing. In the beginning of the first verse of Freedom (featuring Kendrick Lamar), she uses the imagery of storm to reference her struggle towards being free. This is a reoccurring theme throughout the song, she continues to use words that are synonymous to disaster and generally negative.

On February 6, 2016 Knowles released a song and video known as “Formation”, endorsing the #BlackLivesMovement and embracing her own blackness. “Formation” is an unapologetic message that identified the roots and history of black power, as Black History Month approached.This music video also gives her audience an insight that includes, imagery of the affects of Hurricane Katrina and the evolution of black culture and femininity. This allowed her viewers to visually understand the cruelty and immorality of police brutality; however, Knowles demonstrates the

Beyoncé’s choice of lyrics in the song “Formation” reflect a cultural reclamation and celebration of being multiple things: an African-American of any sex, a woman of any race, and specifically a black woman. These multiple messages are allowed for by lyrical content that ultimately asks members of all these marginalized groups to “get into formation” in singing an anthem for empowerment. “Formation” begins with a few words from Messy Mya, a YouTube personality who was murdered in 2010 and was known for his overt satire regarding violence against the black community in New Orleans. This sets the stage for the political message the following lyrics portray. “The intersection between hip-hop and politics has empowered a generation of youth to believe that they not only have rights but maybe even an obligation to make a difference in their world” (Alalman, p. 42, 2011). Expressing self-feelings, thoughts or views through music can make a change in the world, which is what Beyoncé does through her music. The actions in the song is further reinforced in the music video, through African American women fighting for respect on the streets, creating a sense of devotion in the audience. Moreover, the artist openly addresses the culture of open social hate towards black features “I like my baby hair with baby hair afro, I like my negro nose with Jackson 5 nostrils”, to which she responds by accepting them as special traits to be cherished and not ashamed of. By embracing all these pejorative

The Black Lives Matter movement main tool is Social media.Through their usage the movement has essentially used social media effectively to address police brutality cases and political reform.