Oct 10 '20

What inspired the movement black lives matters ,and what is the group's purpose ?

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Jeff Wallenfeldt

Encyclopedia Britannica Editor

Oct 12 '20

The immediate catalyst for the Black Lives Matter movement was the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed Black teenager, in Sanford, Florida, in February 2012, by George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer. Only after weeks of nationwide protest was Zimmerman arrested and tried for second-degree murder. His acquittal in July 2013 was widely perceived as a miscarriage of justice and led to further nationwide protests. Following Zimmerman’s acquittal, Black Lives Matter (BLM) was cofounded as an online movement by three Black community organizers—Patrisse Khan-Cullors, Alicia Garza, and Opal Tometi.

BLM is a decentralized grassroots movement that is led by activists in local chapters who organize their own campaigns and programs. Its chapters are affiliated with the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, a nonprofit civil rights organization that is active in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Among its many goals, BLM attempts to emphasize the many ways in which Black people are treated unfairly in society and the ways in which laws, policies, and institutions perpetrate that unfairness. The movement’s name signals condemnation of the unjust killings by police of Black people (who are far more likely to be killed by police in the United States than white people) and the demand that society value the humanity and lives of Black people as much as it values those of white people.

BLM has used means such as letter writing campaigns, political action, and nonviolent protests to fight racism. The movement also seeks to combat police brutality, over-policing of minority neighbourhoods, and abuses committed by for-profit jails. It has called for better training for police and greater accountability for police misconduct. Moreover, BLM activists have called for “defunding” the police (reducing police department budgets and investing the freed-up funds in community social services, such as mental health and conflict-resolution programs). BLM activists have also worked on voter registration and get-out-the-vote campaigns.