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Marinda Archer

Ms. Pederson

English III

11 November 2016

The Civil Rights Movement of the 21st Century

African American civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. once said, our lives begin

to end the day we become silent about the things that matter (Brainy Quote). Black Lives

Matter is a newly founded activist group that has started in light of recent police brutality and the

shootings of African Americans. The activists behind this movement are using unique ways to

speak out about what they believe in. The Black Lives Matter movement is a modern take on the

historical African American Civil Rights movement headed by Martin Luther King Jr.

Furthermore, this movement has been influenced by the use of social media and the controversial

misconceptions that many Americans have.

The Black Lives Matter movement is an organized response which is fighting for racial

equality. In an article, About the Black Lives Matter Network, which is featured on the official

Black Lives Matter website, it is stated that Black Lives Matter is a chapter-based national

organization working for the validity of Black life (About the 1). This movement has chapters

nation wide, but each one is fighting for civil rights for African Americans. As stated in Funk and

Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, The movement was cofounded by Alicia Garza, an activist

with the National Domestic Workers Alliance in Oakland, California; Patrisse Cullors, a

California activist who founded the prison reform organization Dignity & Power Now; and Opal

Tometi, a New York-based immigration activist (Black Lives 1).Together, these experienced

women lead one of the biggest movements of the century. The article 11 Major Misconceptions
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About the Black Lives Matter Movement, which is also featured on the groups official web

page, indicates that this movement began after the acquittal of Trayvon Martins killer in 2013

and the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014 (11 Major 1). Since these

recent acts of violence against African Americans, the force behind the Black Lives Matter

movement has grown immensely. The Funk and Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, also states

that this movement is a campaign against racism and what it's members consider police brutality

against African Americans (Black Lives 1). Through this campaign, protestors have fought

for civil rights via social media, as well as street protests, some peaceful, some violent. These

protests show that the groups goals are larger than just African Americans. However, Black

Lives matter affirms the lives of Black queer and trans folks, disabled folks, black-undocumented

folks, folks with records, women and all Black lives along the gender spectrum (About the 1).

Activists behind this movement arent fighting solely for the lives of male African Americans

like many assume; theyre fighting for the lives of all blacks, no matter their background or

beliefs. According to Tyler Huckabees article The Problem with Saying All Lives Matter

which was featured in a July 2016 edition of Relevant Magazine, the BLM movement is a

rallying cry to make a difference and take down the unjust status quo that holds racial equality at

bay in America (Huckabee 3). This movement is trying to rid America of the long-held racial

inequality toward African Americans through organized protests and spreading awareness.

Presently, many average Americans misunderstand what this movement is all about. The

first misconception about this movement is that the movement doesn't care about black-on-

black crime. However, those behind this movement have responded to that with those who

insist on talking about black-on-black crime frequently fail to acknowledge that most crime is

intraracial (11 major 1). The Black Lives Matter movement recognizes that intraracial crime
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is a problem, but refuses to blame it on black history. Another misconception that is commonly

held, is that its a leaderless movement. Yet, the Black Lives Matter movement claims that the

Black Lives Matter movement is a leader full movement. As well as, BLM is composed of

many local leaders and local organizations. Finally, the leaders add that this movement is

bigger than any one person (11 Major 1-2). Beside the founders, there is no one single leader

for this movement, which adds to its uniqueness. The third misconception Americans have is that

they believe that it is a one issue movement. The official website responds to this idea by

saying, although it is true that much of the protesting to date has been centered on the issue of

police brutality, there is a range of issues the movement work will likely push in years to come

(11 Major 2). Along with the large array of issues that the movement will focus on, the Black

Lives Matter movement also focuses on, and will continue to focus on the less glamorous issues

occurring today. This movement does acknowledge that they focus on problems that are

occurring currently. The fourth misconception, and possibly the most common, is that the

movement hates white people. To this, activists argue that contained within the statement

[Black Lives Matter] is an unspoken but implied too, as in Black lives matter too, which by

saying this, they're clarifying that none of this is about hatred for white life. It is about

acknowledging that the system already treats white lives as if they have more value, as if they are

more worthy of protection, safety, education, and a good quality of life than black lives are (11

Major 4). This movement recognizes that all lives matter, but their main focus is on the

mistreatment of African Americans. This movement is different than what many Americans

believe it to be, and Black Lives Matter activists hope to clear up misconceptions in order to

make this push for equality successful.

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The current Black Lives Matter movement has been compared to the African American

civil rights movement that occurred in the 60s. While both of the movements protest the same

issue, the modern movement is different in just about every other aspect. An activist during the

African American Civil Rights movement that began in 1955, Barbara Reynolds, wrote the

article I Support BLMs Cause, but not its Approach. Reynolds explained, the rapper Tef Poe

sharply pointed out at a St. Louis rally in October protesting the death of unarmed teenager

Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO: this ain't your grandparents civil rights movement

(Reynolds 1). To this, Reynolds adds, It looks, sounds, and feels different. Black Lives Matter is

a motley looking group (Reynolds 1). By saying this, Reynolds and Poe are not far from the

truth; this new movement is a lot different than the last generations movement. The Black Lives

Matter group is unique in comparison to past civil rights movement groups. In Barbara

Reynolds article, she speaks of the differences between the two movements: Trained in the

tradition of MLK Jr., we, [the activists in 1960s] were nonviolent activists who won hearts by

conveying respectability and changed laws by delivering a message of live and unity. BLM

seems intent on rejecting our proven methods. This movement is ignoring what our history has

taught (Reynolds 1). The activists behind the movement of today seem to have a mind of their

own and are not looking back on history. Reynolds adds, discipline for elders, restraint is badly

needed in the movement. But right now BLM isnt buying (Reynolds 3). According to one

critic, The Black Lives Matter movement seems to lack important things that could be helping

them out overall. Although there seem to be many negative thoughts toward the modern

movement, Barbara Reynolds does mention one important positive that should not be left unsaid:

BLM has improved on the previous generation. The new movement has embraced black women

as leaders and was, in fact, founded by three black women (Reynolds 3). The civil rights
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movement of today has surpassed the previous movement regarding the involvement of African

American women like Barbara Reynolds. These two movements possess many differences, but

they do posses one similarity, and that is that they are both after racial equality.

Due to a number of factors, such as the Black Lives Matter movement's unique use of

social media and their aggressive protests, this fight for equality has gained tremendous amounts

of popularity and support over the recent years. In a research article published by Juliana

Horowitz and Gretchen Livingston, How Americans View the BLM Movement, they

acknowledge that roughly 4 in 10 Americans support the Black Lives Matter movement, while

about 1 in 5 Americans oppose it (Horowitz and Livingston 1). Research has shown that more

people support the Black Lives Matter rather than oppose it, but there seems to be a sizable share

of people that are still in the dark about this topic. Also discovered in Horowitz and Livingstons

article: support of Black Lives Matter is particularity high among the blacks: 65% support the

movement including 41% who strongly support it; 12% of blacks say they oppose it (Horowitz

and Livingston 1). This movement seems to be popular among the majority of the African

American population. Although this movement is greatly supported, unfortunately, 43% of

blacks doubt that the U.S. will ever make the changes needed for blacks to have equal rights with

whites. Some 11% of whites feel this way (Horowitz and Livingston 2). Even though they dont

necessarily believe that any changes will be made, they remain hopeful by supporting the Black

Lives Matter movement. The Black Lives Matter movement is rapidly gaining prominence and

support throughout all races. .

The Black Lives Matter movement owes its continued existence to Twitter and other

social media platforms. In Tyler Huckabees article, he points out that following the death of

Trayvon Martin, three women named Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi began
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tweeting #blacklivesmatter [on the popular social media site, Twitter] (Huckabee 2). Succeeding

yet another African American death, three African American women started using the popular

hashtag that helped start this movement. Additionally, found in the Funk and Wagnall New

World Encyclopedia is an explanation of how supporters use this hashtag: "Twitter users

highlight words or trends with the hashtag (# symbol) on the social networking website. The

symbol helps other Twitter users find tweets (messages) that include the marked term (Black

Lives 1). Because of Twitter's easy accessibility and already established popularity in America,

it has been easy for this hashtag behind the movement to spread. With the major use of Twitter in

today's society, it was not very hard for this hashtag, and this movement, to go viral. Twitter is

not the only social media platform to feature support for the Black Lives Matter movement

though. What started as a hashtag became an ethos, and has transcended Twitter [and moved to

other social media platforms] to become a true movement, one of the most forceful and

ubiquitous of this young century, he adds (Huckabee 2). Twitter along with other social media

have influenced this movement greatly.

While this movement began on social media, it has now transcended the internet and

moved into the streets, adding a physical presence to the already virtual fight. Protesting recent

black deaths, many activists have taken the streets. In a July 2016 article, written by Matt

Hamilton, which appeared in the LA Times, covers an example of Black Lives Matters physical

fight. In this, Hamilton reports that hundreds of Black Lives Matter demonstrators poured into

the streets of Inglewood, shutting down a major intersection and briefly blocking traffic on the

405 Freeway. Hamilton also adds that they assembled in the form of a peace sign and chanted

black lives, we matter, yeah and racist cops have got to go (Hamilton 1). The activists behind

this movement have began protesting to show that they will not stop until African Americans get
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the equality that they deserve. Mentioned in another news article, Black Lives Matter Protest

Turns Violent in San Diego, written by Joel B. Pollak, is another example of the protesting that

has occurred nationally. While many of the outdoor protests regarding Black Lives Matter have

been peaceful, that is not always the case. Pollak writes, a black lives matter protest turned

violent in El Cajon, near San Diego, as demonstrators attacked cars and at least one motorcycle

while protesting the death of a 38 year old Ugandan refugee Alfred Orlando earlier this week

(Pollak 1). Some of these protestors have been doing whatever they deem necessary to fight for

what they believe is right. Between the virtual fight for African American lives and the physical

fight for these lives, many people are now standing up for the Black Lives Matter movement.

In addition to these protests, celebrities have also joined the fight of Black Lives Matter

in hope to grant social equality to African Americans. In a September 2016 article written by

Danny Katch and Dave Zirin, titled From the Raised Fist to the Bended Knee, the authors look

into the influence behind the recent protests by famous NFL player, Colin Kaepernick, who is a

quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers. Katch and Zirin state, Colin Kaepernicks simple act of

taking a knee during the national anthem in an act of protest has set off an earthquake (Katch

and Zirin 1). During the National Anthem before one of his games, Colin Kaepernick took a knee

instead of traditionally standing with his hand over his heart. This minor act had a major

reaction. Also stated in Katch and Zirins article is that Colin Kaepernicks protest during the

national anthem has now spread to other professional athletes (Katch and Zirin 1). Colin

Kaepernick has influenced other professional athletes to speak out too. Generally speaking, many

popular celebrities have helped spread awareness of this movement.

By using the phrase Black Lives Matter people are spreading awareness, but many

Americans respond to Black Lives Matter with All Lives Matter, which is just a way of these
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people obscuring the real problem in the eyes of those fighting for their rights. In Tyler

Huckabees Relevant Magazine article, he clarifies that Its not that what they're saying isn't

true. Its just that its unhelpful. Its an attempt to erase an actual crisis under the guise of it being

fair. And by continuing to use All Lives Matter to drown out the cry of Black Lives Matter,

the real problems the movement is trying to address are being ignored (Huckabee 2). People are

so quick to jump to conclusions in today's society, that they just assume that when people say

Black Lives Matter that they are excluding all other races; which leaders of the movement feel

is not the case. Also in his writings, Huckabee addresses that the context of Black Lives

Matter is not that other lives dont. The context of Black Lives Matter is that the value of black

lives remains under assault in the United States (Huckabee 2). The reason that the phrase Black

Lives Matter is used so often is because the fact that black lives do matter is not apparent in

todays society. People obviously need to be reminded that African Americans should be treated

equally. Additionally, Huckabee states, when people say Black Lives Matter, they are

acknowledging an important context that involves several centuries of slavery, civil rights, mass

incarnation, and brutality. Its specifically highlighting the value of Black lives because,

historically, this country has often ignored that value (Huckabee 2). Looking back on history,

African Americans have never been considered equal to other races, for no legitimate reason

other than the fact that their skin is a different color. Finally, in Huckabee's article, he reminds

that when a person says Black Lives Matter we should not say All Lives Matter it is an

attempt to diminish the ongoing reality of white supremacy in America. Its effectively a way of

demeaning other peoples stories (Huckabee 3). By saying "all lives matter," people are

ignoring the fact that not everyone is being treated equally and that there are racial inequalities.

We seem to have to remind others that black lives matter, when actually, that should be a given.
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This movement continues to stay in the news and continues to be relevant because people seem

to believe that the Black Lives Matter movement is arguing against other lives, which is not the

case. When activists behind this movement say "black lives matter," they aren't saying that only

black lives matter, they're saying that black lives matter as well, in order to spread awareness.

In conclusion, Black Lives Matter is a new and improved version of the historical

African American Civil Rights movement headed by Martin Luther King Jr. Social media, as

well as many misunderstandings that Americans have influenced this movement greatly. From

social media, to the streets of America, this movement is gaining a great deal of popularity very

quickly, with many people, including celebrities.The main influence behind this movement is

that there seems to be a divide between African American and Caucasian races, or all races for

that matter. Activists are now speaking out and standing up for what they believe is right, which

is racial equality for African Americans. Through Black Lives Matter, protestors hope to restore

the equality that African Americans deserve but never had in America.
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Works Cited

"About the Black Lives Matter." Black Lives Matter. Black Lives Matter, n.d. Web. 3 Nov. 2016

"Black Lives Matter." Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia (2016): 1p. 1. Funk &

Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia. Web. 7 Nov. 2016.

Hamilton, Matt. "Protesters with Black Lives Matter Shut down 405 Free Way in Inglewood."

Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2016. Web. 01 Dec. 2016.

Horowitz, Juliana Menasce, and Gretchen Livingston. "How Americans View the Black Lives

Matter Movement." Pew Research Center RSS. Fact Tank, 08 July 2016. Web. 03 Nov.

2016.

Huckabee, Tyler. "The Problem with Saying All Lives Matter." RELEVANT Magazine.

Relevant Magazine, 06 July 2016. Web. 03 Nov. 2016.

Katch, Danny, and Dave Zirin. "From the Raised Fist to the Bended Knee." Jacobin Magazine.

N.p., 25 Sept. 2016. Web. 01 Dec. 2016.

"Martin Luther King, Jr. Quotes." BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2016.

Pollak, Joel B. "Black Lives Matter Protest Turns Violent in San Diego - Breitbart." Breitbart.

N.p., 30 Sept. 2016. Web. 01 Dec. 2016.

Reynolds, Barbara. "I Was a Civil Rights Activist in the 1960s. But Its Hard for Me to Get

behind Black Lives Matter." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 24 Aug. 2015. Web.

03 Nov. 2016.

"11 Major Misconceptions about the Black Lives Matter Movement." Black Lives Matter. N.p.,

n.d. Web.