The Black Lives Matter Movement

Throughout the history of the United States, black people have been treated with less equality than the white people. These days, although it has improved, there is still a long way to go. Lately, a group has formed called “Black Lives Matter”. This was in response to several incidents where police shot and killed several black people. The African Americans took to the streets because they felt they wanted their voice to be heard. Two historical events in history where race was a factor was Rosa Parks and Jackie Robinson. Even though slavery was abolished in 1865, the black people are still inferior to the white people.

Darryl Lorenzo Wellington, a renowned poet and social critic, originally published the article “The Power of Black Lives Matter” in his book The Crisis in 2015. In “The Power of Black Lives Matter,” Darryl Lorenzo Wellington argues that the Black Lives Matter movement has helped bring to the forefront the uncomfortable truth about race and class in the United States of America. He makes it clear that racism is still present in today’s society and that the movement Black Lives Matter will help make this problem more noticeable. In the essay “The Power of Black Lives Matter”, Wellington is trying to persuade the reader that Black Lives Matter is a necessary movement because it reiterates the truth that the society we live in today is systematically racist, he does so through rhetorical questions and repetition which is why I believe this article is persuasive.

It is hard to believe that I knew of Black Lives Matter (BLM), however, I never actually bother to learn what it is—I knew a succinct premise of what the movement is about, but never cared to inquire further on the subject. Nevertheless, attending events like the Brandeis’ Black Lives Matter’s Symposium allowed me to inform myself on different angles about the movement and understand it through a brief historical context and through different mediums and points of view.

The Black Lives Matter movement began as a social media hashtag. Hashtags identify a subject matter that should be discussed among social media aficionados. As time went on and the injustice against African Americans began to concern the public, this hashtag rallied numerous Americans of different ethnicities, backgrounds, and religions together for a cause. This cause was the deaths of unarmed black men and women from the hands of the police and the prejudice against African Americans because of their skin color and their cultural backgrounds. The Black Lives Matter movement began with smaller protestors who were angered by the deaths of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, and Eric Garner, and quickly grew to become a powerful group who has the main focus of creating change.

Since America was founded, African Americans have been treated unfairly. This was changed drastically when slavery was abolished and even more when they got Civil Rights. Despite change and triumph, to this day there are still setbacks and the need for equality is as prominent as it has ever been. Because of this, movements like #BlackLivesMatter are necessary and progressive. Black Lives Matter is not a racist movement and is necessary to the fight for equality.

In 1619 slavery was brought upon Black African it ended in the year 1865. The Emancipation Proclamation’s whole purpose was to create an equal path for the whites and blacks and as many believed that slavery wasn't the main problem but equality was the main source of the issue. Since the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s killer in 2013 and the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014, the phrase “black lives matter” has become a rallying cry for a new chapter in the long black freedom struggle. But this new movement’s penchant for disruptive protest and impassioned public speeches about persistent racial inequality have been disconcerting to many Americans who wonder what the end-game is for this new generation of protesters.

Movements, such as Black Lives Matter, have come into inception in recent years mostly in part to injustices they see in the judicial system, the way they see law enforcement’s treatment of African Americans, and to rebuild the powerful movement that was existent in the civil rights era.

In this essay I will discuss Black Lives Matter. Black Lives Matter is an activist movement that started in July 2013, when George Zimmerman, a 28-year-old mixed-race Hispanic man was proven not guilty in the Florida shooting death of African-American 17 year old teen Trayvon Martin. This movement fights against what it calls police brutality in the United States against African-Americans. The movement received incitement, from the two deaths of unarmed African Americans, teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri and 43-year-old Eric Garner in New York City. The jury in both these cases did not indict the officer and no charges were brought on them. Several African-Americans such as; Tamir Rice, Eric Harris, Walter Scott, and Freddie Gray who died at the hands of law enforcement have had their deaths protested by the movement. In my opinion, an unarmed African-American can be gunned down without adequate reasoning and then left in the middle of the street on display for hours .It just seems like there is seemingly no justice for Black life in America.

When you hear of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. you think of the Civil Rights Movement and fights for justice and equality through nonviolent protests and marches back in the 1950’s and 60’s. While several racial barriers were broken and progress has been made since then, in 2015 the Black community is still dealing with similar problems. The generation today still face racial inequality, but they also face inequality within themselves. Black Lives Matter is a movement that began when police brutality against African-Americans became what seems to be common. However, what people don’t know is that Black Lives Matter has been a movement since the 50’s. Various similarities between the past and present of Black Lives Matter has allowed this

The Article, “The rise of Black Lives Matter: Trying to break the cycle of violence and silence”, written by Sara Sidner and Mallory Simon, targets major focal points of the Black Lives Matter movement and brings in the magnitude of people that are engaging in the movement. It shows that we as a nation need to move forward to a better world that has everyone treated equally. In the article the writers bring up a thought

A member-led international network of than 40 chapters, the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement is an ideological and political intervention for intentional violence targeting black communities by the state and vigilantes (Garza 1). BLM has stirred up countless arguments that the phrase should be “All Lives Matter” which homogenizes very different experiences of racism and domination in America (4). Reverting back in time, slavery was the theft of millions of people for free labor; in modern time, racial inequality still exists in various aspects of everyday life such as politics and education. There are a plethora of reactions of different races towards the BLM movement and many of them are inspired to take action. Furthermore,

When Sam Cooke sang the legendary song, “A Change Is Going To Come” in 1964, the transformation of how Americans viewed race was only beginning. The Black Lives Matter movement addressed the implications of slavery and racism that are still in effect today, due to police brutality accusations. The death of Trayvon Martin and Keith Lamont Scott demonstrated to me that silence is a luxury I cannot afford; I could be next. It is my duty to attend every rally, speak to every person, and voice in every argument that black lives do matter.

For many years, there has been an unjust treating of the African American race. They have been killed and disrespected by several people, including the police force. Only recently has that been broadcasted in the media. It goes back to the 1960s when ‘televised footage of well-dressed white people heckling black children as they walk to school” (Stephen) to present day that is now being broadcast on various social media platforms. This isn’t being done to show of the actions of these people but more in a way to expose them and the harshness going on in the world. The Black Lives Matter Movement is a spawn of the growing social media culture and has impacted how people treat racism. Now, solidarity and togetherness is possible across the globe

When I hear the term, Black Lives Matter I immediately associate with bringing awareness of the struggles Black communities are facing. Black lives Matter isn’t just about people who are black, it’s based on young black and brown men that are easily being targeted by law enforcement. The movement started due to young Black men being shot by the police. It started small but it has spread throughout the country as people become more aware of the injustices towards blacks. The movement has ignited conversations that no one ever dared to talked about because they feel uncomfortable, this are conversations that need to be talked about. It has brought up the subject of racism, oppression of Blacks, and the corruption within the justice system. This

The reason why I want to study the importance of the Black Lives Matter Movement (BLM) is because their cause is often misrepresented by others and through the social media. Yes, we all see many cases of the police vs someone who is black on the news, but it seems like if it does not affect you directly, then there’s no reason for one to care. After Trayvon Martin’s death, the BLM began. Soon after, people were outraged about how the BLM movement was being biased; which brought about the #ALLLIVESMATTER movement. Over the past 5 centuries, African American females and males have been identified as a “threat and danger to society”. Recently, police officers have used deadly and excessive force that leads to beatings, shootings and inexcusable