The Black Lives Matter (BLM) Movement

A necessary and common fight for equality has been one that has survived throughout all of man’s existence. Due to recent racial divide and the product of racial profiling, a movement has risen up to combat these common issues. The most recent and most well-covered is the Black Lives Matter Movement. Even though it has been lauded by some media sources and individuals as the next great movement to champion for civil rights, the Black Lives Matter movement is not the same as the African-American Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s nor is it likely to be as successful. If the Black Lives Matter Movement continues with discrepancies in ideology, lack of clear leadership, and trends of hate, the movement is doomed to fail.

Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a loosely‐coordinated, nationwide movement dedicated to ending police brutality that rose to prominence in late 2014. It takes its name from a hashtag started by three Black feminist activists Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza, and Opal Tometi but the movement and the hashtag are not identical (Freelon, McIlwain, & Clark, 2016). BLM has achieved national reputation through their online and offline organizing, obtaining extensive news media coverage and glowing references in music and entertainment television. Based on a horrendous incident that sparked a concern for a lot of Black people across the world, the sudden need for a social movement was born called BLM. Black Lives Matter is a national organization working for the validity of Black life and also working to rebuild the Black liberation movement. Black Lives Matter broadens the conversation and highlight the incidents around state violence to include the ways in which Black people are intentionally left powerless at the hands of the state. This referring to the ways in which Black lives are deprived of basic human rights and dignity. According to the article The Murder of Walter Scott, which talks about race and class, “African Americans are less than 13% of the U.S. population yet they are nearly 50% of those killed by the police. North Charleston has a population of 104,000, 47% Black and the police force is 80% white (Miah, 2015)”.

In the United States, there has been many cases of Racial injustice. From the beginning of the start of the United States of America it was the injustice to the Native Americans being captured and used for slave labor while their bison be slaughtered for sportsmanship. But this paper is on the specific race of the African Americans. There are many races that have been racially profiled and ostracized by the English people. But the treatment that African Americans have endured even till this day is disheartening. African Americans have gone through enslavement during the early 1600’s to the mid 1800’s. Then the African Americans were obstructed by the Jim Crow laws creating the ‘Separate but Equal” propaganda during the late 1800’s into the 1960’s. After the abolishment of the Jim Crow Laws, people were considered equal until the recent actions of many police officers using deadly force on African American youths in the early 2000’s.

Martin Luther King Jr.’s effective policy of non-violence. Furthermore, the “Black Lives Matter” movement’s disruptive protest and impassionate public mission statement speeches about the persistent purpose of racial inequality have been disconcerting to many Americans who wonder what the real message for this new generation of civil rights protests are, and if their arguments, tactics, and cause is effective and productive to inciting change. To many times their stances have appeared contradictory and hate filled because of their lack of specific purpose and a central governing body. Responding to this criticism, Black Lives Matter leaders assert this is, “not your grandfather’s civil-rights movement,” to distinguish its tactics and its philosophy from those of nineteen-sixties-style activism. However, despite insinuating they are not typical of older civil rights movements they frequently allude to past civil rights

According to my text book, civil disobedience is the voluntarily breaking established laws based on one’s moral belief. I strongly believe that civil disobedience is never justified, regardless of the situation. Yes, something might be wrong according to your morals, but laws are in place to prevent chaos. All these events mentioned; war protesters, anti-abortion activist, Civil Rights Movement, Black Lives Matter Movement, Charlottesville, Confederate statues, so on and so forth has created chaos throughout the United States.

While there has been tangible progress made in race relations, inequalities still tarnish the country. In poor black communities across the nation, the lack of opportunity stifles potential and creates a cyclical chain of poverty and violence. Areas with high black populations struggling with violence and unequal policing, have prompted a modern civil right movement called “Black Lives Matter.” Critics of the movement often cite, the supposed inherent inequality in the idea. All lives matter, they argue, why should black lives matter specifically? The movement, however, does not argue that black lives matter more than lives of other races, the movement is saying that black lives matter just as much. Furthermore, it’s an exclamation, that calls for attention to be placed on communities ravaged by violence and poverty that are disproportion black. Similar to the movements of the 1960’s, the BLM movement is causing tension across the country. Like king argued, tension is the catalyst that inspires change and conversation. The nonviolent protests of BLM, seek to “dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored;” that is the “work of a nonviolent resister” (1310). Just as the march that was depicted in Selma, the BLM has sought to seek change without violence, but instead with protests and media campaigns. BLM methods parallel King’s use of non violent protest, in a

The widely popular and controversial Black Lives Matter Movement not only draws attention to police brutality against black bodies, it also expose institutional racism seen within the public school system. Therefore, this movement becomes a valuable opportunity for both teachers and students to discuss race relations in classroom. So, how can classrooms benefit from and contribute to this movement? Studies show that if classrooms actively engage in relevant social issues teachers can improve the quality of instruction and actually maximizes students’ learning experience (Perlstein, 2002). A successful example of a revolution beginning in the classroom happened at the Black Panther Party’s Oakland Community School (OCS) established in 1971 (formerly

According to a Guardian study, young African-American men were nine times more likely to be killed by police enforcement than any other American, which recorded a tally of 1,134 deaths in 2015. After many incidents of innocent black people dying by the hands of police enforcement, America is forced to realize important narrative of race and inequality. The Black Lives Matter movement was formed to combat and expose racism and anti-blackness in the United States. Ever since its birth, many have joined the movement; creating and organizing protests, speaking against anti-blackness. But in contrast, many others have criticized BLM, calling it a “terrorist” organization and a hate group. The Black Lives Matter movement being classified as a terrorist or hate group is a misjudge argument and a malevolent narrative.

the activist movement, black lives matter, first plunged into the spotlight during the acquittal of george zimmerman for shooting trayvon martin, an african american teen. since then, the hashtag #blacklivesmatter has been used to protest the systemic racism against black people. in response to this movement, the phrase “all lives matter” has emerged, its supporters dismissing the black lives matter campaign for singling out one race. the use of this phrase by celebrities and politicians has been met with harsh backlash, with good reason. “all lives matter” is an ignorant response, which draws attention away from the racism and violence that black americans face. we say “black lives matter” because black lives are the ones being oppressed right

Why is it that black people are the chosen Americans to get their pride and power taken from them out of all the other races in the world? Since October 15, 1966, when the Black Panther Party started, “the Panthers practiced militant self-defense of minority communities against the U.S. government, and fought to establish revolutionary socialism through mass organizing and community based programs” (Baggins). The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement was founded in 2012 after the death of Trayvon Martin who was murdered in front of a local corner store by George Zimmerman. Acts like this are still being performed now and the government has not put in hard work to change it. The BLM Movement goes a little deeper than the anger of black people feeling

(Hashtag) #BlackLivesMatter. Black Lives Matter (BLM). This is a phrase, a hashtag, a saying, a declaration, an affirmation of resistance, and most importantly, a calling for change to the American civilization which is unjust in its treatment of black human beings. This is not a moment, this is a movement, and it is truly an unfortunate witness numerous Americans disregard this outcry for justice. Whether it may largely be the purpose of bigoted racism, in which, one is instilled of the opinion that black people are less than or not equal to, seemingly inferior to other cultures. But besides all of these racist principles, a certain ignorance prevails in the misinterpretation of the black lives matter advocated premise. Many tend to interpret

movement in this nation because. It shows how black people are battling for Justice with marching and protesting. Another reason for this movement is that black people are getting shot down by police in their own communities and neighborhoods.

The Black Lives Matter movement has swept across America. It 's branched out with chapters in over 31 cities and held rallies and boycotts across the United States(Sidner). The Black Lives Matter movement started with the outrage of the death of a young man. It continues to take over headlines and raise awareness on police brutality and inequality. However, the movement has met resistance from the All Lives Matter group. This group thinks that Black Lives Matter is a movement to express hatred towards other races. However, statistics, the views of fellow citizens, and the overall purpose of the Black Lives Matter movement, can prove that the movement wasn 't meant to express hate on other races and that we need to support the movement instead of going against it.

Alicia Garza created the Black Lives Matter Movement with Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi after the death of 17 year old Trayvon Martin. Black Lives Matter is an ideological and social group in a world where black lives are systematically and institutionally targeted. It became more than a hashtag and began to empower people. They began to move the hashtag from social media to the streets. It is movement to all people and supports the coming together to fight and protest against oppression. It has had many public protests in cities worldwide with supporters of all races in tow. The Black Lives Matter Movement has connected people across the country working to end the various forms of injustice impacting our people today. Alicia Garza along with her co-founders of the movement have hosted national conference calls focused on issues that are critical to working hard for the liberation of African Americans. The goal is according the the founders of this movements is to create a space for the celebration and humanization of black lives.

the focus of Black Lives Matter is being articulated less as a demand for specific civil or political rights, and more as a broader claim for “black humanity.” Martin Luther King also used the language of human rights to internationalize the issue of racial inequality in the United States. BLM movement is following in king’s footsteps, taking a stance and demanding action. Both movements fight for freedom but in ways that seem to be opposite of the other, one in love, and one in hate.