The Black Lives Matter Movement: A History and Analysis

Black Lives Matter is a political and social movement dedicated to fighting racism and anti-violence incidents that Black communities face. The movement began in 2013 and gained traction with the social media hashtag #BlackLivesMatter. With the inception of the hashtag and movement that started in the US, it has now turned into a global movement across the globe. BLM aims at igniting conversations around the disparities African American community encounters. It also focuses on challenging people to think about the lack of fundamental human rights these individuals face. The article aims to highlight the historical background of the movement and how it can impact the lives of thousands.

Historical Background

The movement solidified and gained much recognition after the death of three African American men. On 26th February 2012, George Zimmerman, a mixed Hispanic man, shot and killed a 17-year-old African American high school student. Though George was charged with second-degree murder, he was found not guilty. Activist Alicia Garza took the issue on Facebook to depict her views against the verdict. Fellow activist Patrisse Cullors reshared the post with the hashtag Black Lives Matter and gave rise to the campaign. The verdict caused an outcry and ignited the movement in the local grassroots community. However, it turned into a national movement only after the death of two more African American men, Eric Garner and Michael Brown. The verdict caused an outcry and ignited the movement in the local grassroots community. However, it turned into a national movement only after the death of two more African-American men, Eric Garner and Michael Brown. national movement only after the death of two more African-American men including Eric Garner and Michael Brown.  

 In 2014, Eric Garner was suffocated to death by a Caucasian policeman Daniel Pantaleo. He was found suspicious of selling untaxed cigarettes. However, police attempted to handcuff him from behind, which is against NYPD regulations. The video of the incident was circulated online and created huge conversations on social media. After a month, another African American teenager Michael Brown was killed by a Caucasian policeman in Ferguson, Missouri.  

The incident was raised with the jury, but the jury decided not to take any action. This created outrage amongst the black community and provoked them to raise their voice and fight back against the brutality of the Black community. Many rallies were conducted with the signs #BlackLivesMatter, and the movement gained international recognition on 13th December. More than 100,000 people came together in solidarity to rally and protest against such incidents that were happening in the black community. It was this moment which turned the movement into a historical one. 

Mission and Objectives 

The movement aims at challenging the ideologies and perceptions of people towards African American community. The movement not only limits the conversations around Black communities but also aims at creating conversations around other debatable topics such as justice, gender inequality, poverty, disability rights, and LGBTQ. Issues.    

Campaign Zero

With multiple cases of police brutality in the country, many critics argued that the movement did not highlight that issue. Campaign Zero came as a movement linked with Black Lives Matter. The movement highlights objectives that one should follow to limit the brutal behavior exhibited by the police 

• End Broken Window Policing
• Community Oversight for policy-making changes and complaints
• Limit the excessive use of force and set standards for policy measures
• Reflect the cultural diversity of the population at all levels
• Train regimes and put more emphasis on community interaction
• Conduct independent investigations and prosecutions to determine the real-time situation of the country
• End for-profit policing implementation
• Make sure that the police contracts are fair and liable
• Limit the use of weapons that could lead to potential accidents and dangers

Opposition and Criticism of Black Lives Matter

There is no denying that the Black Lives Matter movement had a massive impact. According to Pew Research Center, more than 59% of African Americans admit that the movement can have long-term significance and may help them achieve equality in the long run. It even garnered attention from celebrities and political parties. While prominent personalities have acknowledged it, the movement has also faced a certain level of criticism from different sources. Many conservative groups and individuals opposed the movement. It has been criticized for focusing on a particular group that is facing injustice. All Lives Matter came as a response to the campaign.

The protests have also ignited a controversy that the movement is focused on some particular activities and consider them unlawful. Police in New York also came up with the idea of Blue Lives Matter to strengthen the support for police families and emphasize their needs. As of now, the government has passed many laws, whereas many bills are under discussion.

From #BlackLivesMatter to #AllLivesMatter

As mentioned above, #AllLivesMatter came as a response to the movement. #BlackLivesMatter has been used millions of times. While one cannot deny that all lives are equally important, the primary notion behind the #BlackLivesMatter is to emphasize the fact that Black Lives Matter is less than white. They deserve equal space in the justice system, which is one of the reasons that the hashtag was created. 

Although the movement had now gained acceptance by the public, millions of people came in solidarity to support and highlight instances of racial injustice. Some scholars even refer to BLM as the most significant movement in the history of the US.