Introduction
Black Lives Matter is a movement that protests against police brutality and violence that targets the African American community. Although the initiative started in 2013, it has become centralized and received national and international recognition in 2020, during the George Floyd protests. They were caused by the tragic incident when a police officer murdered George Floyd. According to Keeanga-Yamahtta, police abuse is a crucial problem that affects the black community (5). More than 20 million people were actively protesting, making Black Lives Matter one of the most successful social movements.
Timeline
The movement’s main agenda is diminishing the effects of police brutality towards black people, and there were a couple of incidents that consolidated the members. The first was the killing of Trayvon Martin in 2012, who was shot by Zimmerman. Two years later, the public was outraged by Eric Garner being murdered by the police. The video of his death was released, causing BLM supporters to protest the injustice they have witnessed.
Michael Brown was the next victim of police brutality that BLM protested. Tamir Rice, the 12-year-old boy, was playing with a toy gun when officers killed him, becoming the next victim. Last but not least, the case that truly affected the nation was the death of George Floyd in 2020. Based on the timeline, it is suggested that Black Lives Matter became a powerful force because of multiple events that caused the members to protest.
The Main Premises
Black Lives Matter was initially intended to be a movement that fights against police brutality targeted towards the black community. Members of the group stated that the police are biased, and racial profiling is an important issue that harms black people. The deaths of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, and Eric Garner were the first incidents that led to protests. George Floyd’s murder was also a motivation for people to protest and protect their rights within the Black Lives Matter group. While the movement was initially focused on racial justice, other causes include LGBTQ rights, feminism, and economic justice.
The founders
The founders of the movements are considered Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza, and Opal Tometi. Cullors, Garza, and Tometi formed the network as an online platform that would unify the activists with the same social and political views. The group does not operate within a hierarchy. However, it has been suggested that local BLM movements have to operate under the same guidelines and support the same goals as the network.
Social Media
Social media became a useful tool that was used for the movement’s consolidation and unity. According to Carney, many people who would identify as supporters of BLM would engage in online debates and suggest new policies that could diminish racial issues (181). Moreover, researchers suggest that social media was a way for the movement’s allies to express their policies and concerns and the opposition to indicate the counterarguments (Ince et al. 1814). However, the response was primarily positive, and many individuals who support the BML premises manifested encouragement and endorsement by using hashtags and making reinforcing comments.
Impact
Black Lives Matter became more than a regular political movement since its influence spread all around the world. A big part of their success and following was social media. Twitter became the lead platform where the members of the group could express their thoughts on racial injustice and ways to combat it. Moreover, politicians and celebrities were also vocal about their support of the group. The democratic party aligned itself with the group, supporting the premises and policies mentioned by the Black Lives Matter movement. Magazines issued covers and articles regarding BLM, political talk shows covered the subject, movies portrayed the social issues protested by the campaign, etc.
The movement was definitely effective since they have accomplished the initial goals. While there were no substantial police reforms, an example of impact is passing the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020, which enforces existing regulations that refer to accountability in case law enforcement engages in misconduct. In term of impact, BLM has contributed to changes on the social and legislative arena.
Criticism
While the public’s response was primarily positive, there was also plenty of criticism that highlighted the issues regarding BLM. According to researchers, people who are aligned with the group live in blue states that are known to deal with police involvement on a higher level (Updegrove et al. 1). On the other hand, older white men who live in states that usually vote republican are less likely to be supporters of the cause.
Also, some black civil rights leaders suggest that BLM uses tactics that can be seen as aggressive and ineffective. A considerable part of the criticism connects to the riots that happened during the protests. Another reason for complaint suggested by scholars is the silencing of speech that BLM supporters view as threatening. The movement was criticized for other reasons as well, including views on police defunding and disconnect from other groups that are considered underprivileged.
Conclusion
Black Lives Matter is a social movement that protests against racial inequality and police brutality. Its network was formed by Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza, and Opal Tometi, who are considered the founders. While mass protests are the critical aspect that BLM is known for, the influence of social media and online discussions have become a crucial part of the movement as a construct. Online platforms are helpful for group supporters who can express their ideas and thoughts regarding racial issues.
BLM found support among journalists, celebrities, politicians, and writers, but some individuals criticized it. Moreover, the republican party is known to be critical of the movement, as well as many scholars and other people who feel like the movement negatively impacts the notion of freedom of speech. However, Black Lives Matter remains a powerful social movement that has influence all over the world.
Annotated Bibliography
Carney, Nikita. “All Lives Matter, but so Does Race: Black Lives Matter and the Evolving Role of Social Media.” Humanity & Society vol. 40, no. 2, 2016, pp. 180-199. Web.
The article analyzes the involvement of youth in the online debates on Twitter regarding the death of Michael Brown and Eric Garner. The researchers used Twitter posts with the hashtags “#BlackLivesMatter” and “#AllLivesMatter”, using them as signs of dominant policies. The reliability of the source is suggested by this article being peer-reviewed and published in the Humanity and Society journal, which specializes in examining and explaining societal constructs and issues that influence societal behavior.
Ince, Jelani, et al. “The Social Media Response to Black Lives Matter: How Twitter Users Interact with Black Lives Matter through Hashtag Use.” Ethnic and Racial Studies, vol. 40, no. 11, 2017, pp. 1814–1830. Web.
The article aims to study how social media presence influences Black Lives Matter, the main premises, and the critical discussion within the community. Furthermore, the interactions between Black Lives Matter supporters and other social media users were examined by going through more than 66,000 tweets that mention solidarity with the movement, Ferguson, policies, and disapproval. Analyzing the data allowed the researchers to conclude upon Black Lives Matter as a social media phenomenon and understand the real efficiency online discussions have in regards to the movement. The article was published by the Ethnic and Racial Studies journal, a reliable source of information examining racial and ethnic constructs and issues within the society.
Taylor, Keeanga-Yamahtta. From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation. Haymarket Books, 2016.
The book touches upon different dimensions within the social, economic, and political constructs and the interconnections with racial order. Its central premise is explaining the situation that led to society’s need for black liberation, mentioning critical events of the last years, such as the mass protests caused by the police brutality that targets racial minorities. The published work is the winner of the Lannan Cultural Freedom Prize. The author assists a professor that teaches African American Studies at Princeton University, which proves her credentials as an expert.
Updegrove, Alexander H., et al. “Red States and Black Lives: Applying the Racial Threat Hypothesis to the Black Lives Matter Movement.” Justice Quarterly, vol. 37, no. 1, 2018, pp. 85–108. Web.
The article’s primary field of study is analyzing the groups of people that openly reject the idea of Black Lives Matter as a reasonable cause. The aspects that were considered consisted of the individual’s political affiliation, states, views, gender, and race. The researchers compared how republican states differ from democratic ones regarding opinions on Black Lives Matter. The article is reliable due to the fact that it was published in the 37th volume of Justice Quarterly, a journal that touches upon social issues and injustice.
Works Cited
Carney, Nikita. “All Lives Matter, but So Does Race: Black Lives Matter and the Evolving Role of Social Media.” Humanity & Society, vol. 40, no. 2, 2016, pp. 180-199. Web.
Ince, Jelani, et al. “The Social Media Response to Black Lives Matter: How Twitter Users Interact with Black Lives Matter through Hashtag Use.” Ethnic and Racial Studies, vol. 40, no. 11, 2017, pp. 1814–1830. Web.
Taylor, Keeanga-Yamahtta. From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation. Haymarket Books, 2016.
Updegrove, Alexander H., et al. “Red States and Black Lives: Applying the Racial Threat Hypothesis to the Black Lives Matter Movement.” Justice Quarterly, vol. 37, no. 1, 2018, pp. 85–108. Web.