Disclaimer: This is a machine generated PDF of selected content from our databases.

This functionality is provided solely for your

convenience and is in no way intended to replace original scanned PDF. Neither Cengage Learning nor its licensors make any
representations or warranties with respect to the machine generated PDF. The PDF is automatically generated "AS IS" and "AS
AVAILABLE" and are not retained in our systems. CENGAGE LEARNING AND ITS LICENSORS SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ANY
AND ALL EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY WARRANTIES FOR AVAILABILITY,
ACCURACY, TIMELINESS, COMPLETENESS, NON-INFRINGEMENT, MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
PURPOSE. Your use of the machine generated PDF is subject to all use restrictions contained in The Cengage Learning
Subscription and License Agreement and/or the Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints Terms and Conditions and by using the
machine generated PDF functionality you agree to forgo any and all claims against Cengage Learning or its licensors for your use of
the machine generated PDF functionality and any output derived therefrom.

Black Lives Matter

Date: 2020
From: Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection
Publisher: Gale, a Cengage Company
Document Type: Topic overview
Length: 1,688 words
Content Level: (Level 5)
Lexile Measure: 1420L

Full Text:
Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a civil rights movement and activist network that originated from a hashtag campaign on social media in
2013. The #BlackLivesMatter campaign gained momentum online in the wake of a Florida jury finding George Zimmerman not guilty
of the second-degree murder of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed Black high school student whom Zimmerman shot and killed.
Zimmerman claimed self-defense, but many people saw his acquittal by a jury as racially biased. As a social movement, BLM has
focused largely on a lack of accountability for state violence committed against Black Americans, particularly police violence.

BLM has attracted the support of many celebrities and professional athletes. The movement has launched an activist network
connected through social media that comprises individuals, local and regional groups, and international coalitions. While BLM has
focused on police violence and disparities in the criminal justice system, many chapters champion specific issues that are local or
personal to their members, including environmental justice and education. Within the movement's first few years, it spread to several
countries, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Ghana, South Africa, and the United Kingdom.

Main Ideas
Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a social movement that calls attention to how Black people are treated by law enforcement in the
United States. Much of the movement's activism has focused on the excessive use of force by police and the perceived lack of
accountability for their actions.
The phrase "Black Lives Matter" first appeared on social media when activist Alicia Garza shared it on Facebook in 2013 in
response to a jury declaring a white man not guilty of murdering an unarmed Black teenager.
Activists mobilized in large protests in Ferguson, Missouri, following the death of Michael Brown in 2014. These
demonstrations attracted national media attention and established BLM as a political movement.
During the summer of 2020, fifteen million to twenty-six million people participated in BLM demonstrations around the country
after several high-profile killings of Black Americans.
BLM is credited with spurring conversations about police reform nationally and as part of the 2020 presidential campaign and
legislative sessions.
Critics have accused the BLM movement of encouraging violence against law enforcement. Some police officers and their
supporters have established Blue Lives Matter groups to counter claims made by BLM.

Origins of the Movement

The phrase "Black Lives Matter" first appeared on Facebook when activist Alicia Garza posted her response to the Zimmerman
verdict. Garza's friend and fellow activist Patrisse Cullors saw the post and repurposed the phrase as a hashtag, sharing it on Twitter
and launching the campaign on social media. Garza, Cullors, and Opal Tometi, another activist friend, began promoting the hashtag
to mobilize protests against the Zimmerman decision. However, the phrase resonated with Black Americans who felt that the criminal
justice system valued the lives of Black people less than the lives of others.

In July 2014 mobile phone footage was released of white New York City police officer Daniel Pantaleo using excessive force on Eric
Garner, an unarmed African American man. Garner died during the encounter. He could be heard repeatedly saying "I can't breathe"
in the footage, and the phrase became a rallying cry for BLM supporters.

Less than one month after Garner's death, a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, shot Michael Brown, an unarmed Black
eighteen-year-old. Marches, protests, and rallies in response to the incident were promoted through the BLM social media campaign.
Protests took place around the country shortly after Brown's death and in November following a grand jury's refusal to indict the
officer for Brown's murder. Protesters in Ferguson were met by a police force armed with military assault rifles, shotguns, pistols,
body armor, armored fighting vehicles, and chemical agents banned in warfare, such as tear gas.

The demonstrations in Ferguson brought national attention to BLM, establishing the movement as something more substantial than a
social media campaign. Amid national awareness of the protests, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) opened investigations into the
Garner case and on racial bias and the use of force within the Ferguson Police Department. In 2015 the DOJ published its findings
about policing in Ferguson, concluding that the city prioritized revenue over public safety needs, and the city's police force and courts
held racial biases that adversely affect African Americans.

Despite the efforts of BLM, many police officers accused of using excessive force have avoided punishment, even those for whom
damaging evidence has been captured on video. Officers have had charges against them dropped or reduced, while others were not
charged at all. For example, the 2017 acquittal of Minnesota police officer Jeronimo Yanez for the 2016 shooting of Philando Castile
received significant attention because Castile's girlfriend streamed the aftermath of the incident live on Facebook.

A few convictions of officers have occurred, including the 2019 sentencing of Chicago officer Jason Van Dyke for second-degree
murder in the 2014 death of seventeen-year-old Laquan McDonald. The DOJ opened an investigation into the city's police
department following McDonald's death. However, another three officers, including Van Dyke's partner, were charged with conspiracy
and obstruction of justice and were ultimately acquitted. In July 2019 the Chicago Police Board ruled to dismiss four other officers
from duty for their roles in misrepresenting Van Dyke's actions through false statements.

Increasing Prominence After Ferguson

The unrest in Ferguson established BLM as a political movement with the potential to disrupt the status quo. Activists Johnetta Elzie,
Brittany Packnett, and DeRay Mckesson, all prominent voices in the Ferguson protests, became more committed to the movement,
launching several secondary projects including Mapping Police Violence, which catalogs police violence and provides analyses of
that data; We The Protesters, which provides activists with resources for organizing demonstrations; StayWoke, a nonprofit
organization that brings together activists to help with one another's projects; and Campaign Zero, a platform presenting data-driven
solutions for policing reform.

By 2016 the movement had gained such prominence that both BLM activists and the police violence they condemn became talking
points in the US presidential election. The Democratic, Green, and Libertarian candidates expressed support for the movement, while
Republican nominee Donald Trump, who would go on to win the presidency, accused BLM of promoting racism, instigating violence,
and disrespecting law enforcement. During the 2020 Democratic primary season, several of the party's candidates consulted with
BLM activists. In the months leading to the 2020 presidential election, President Trump characterized BLM as a treasonous hate
group. Some political commentators have inferred that Trump speaks out against BLM and protests for racial justice in general to
galvanize his base supporters around a culture war issue. In contrast, the Democratic presidential candidate, Joe Biden, expressed
support for BLM and incorporated into his campaign some of BLM's core principles related to criminal justice reform.

Opposition to and Criticism of Black Lives Matter

Some people have responded to the slogan "Black Lives Matter" with concern that the phrase neglects the value of non-Black lives,
choosing instead to align themselves with the phrase "All Lives Matter." For BLM supporters, the phrase "All Lives Matter" is seen as
a denial that racial disparities exist in the criminal justice system and a dismissal of legitimate grievances. In response, BLM activists
have clarified that "Black Lives Matter" does not mean that other lives do not matter as well. They explain the phrase is intended to
draw attention to the ways in which society does not ascribe the same value to Black lives as it does to the lives of others.

Reports of violence from the Ferguson protests led many Americans to adopt a view of BLM as a violent group hostile to law
enforcement and white people. In 2020, during the first week of protests in Minneapolis following the police killing of George Floyd,
mostly peaceful daytime protests were followed by nights sporadically dotted with arson, rioting, and looting. However, media critics
note that many reports exaggerate the amount of violence and property damage caused by protesters.

As BLM has been forthright in its criticisms of law enforcement and the criminal justice system, many members of law enforcement
have spoken out against the movement. In 2014 police officers in New York City established Blue Lives Matter, a movement to
highlight violence committed against law enforcement, support police families, and build public awareness about the needs of police
officers. Members of Blue Lives Matter have called for legislation that identifies violence against a police officer or firefighter as a hate
crime, and such laws have been considered or passed in several states, including Georgia, Louisiana, and New York. Critics of these
laws contend that membership in a professional community cannot be equated with membership in the social and racial groups
traditionally protected by hate crime legislation.

Critical Thinking Questions

Do you think Black Lives Matter could have become a national movement without smartphones and social media? Explain your
answer.
Why do you feel that the Black Lives Matter movement has gained broader acceptance since it began in 2013?
Do you feel that Black Lives Matter has had an impact on how you view racism and social justice issues in the United States?
Why or why not?

A Shift in Public Perception

By 2020 BLM had gained broader acceptance with the American public. In the spring of 2020, the police killings of George Floyd in
Minneapolis and Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky, as well as the fatal shooting of Ahmaud Arbery while he jogged in his
Brunswick, Georgia, neighborhood, sparked a new wave of BLM protests. The New York Times reported that fifteen million to twenty-
six million Americans participated in demonstrations in support of racial justice in early summer 2020, leading some scholars to call
BLM the largest movement in US history.

A new slogan from BLM activists emerged during this time: "Defund the police." Activists demanded a shift from funding police
agencies to using those resources for public services and non-policing community programs. Calls to defund police agencies have
brought up concerns that communities with defunded police departments would become lawless and lack adequate resources to help
crime victims. BLM's "Defund the police" slogan has become part of the national political debate about police reform. While many
Republicans and the Trump administration have dismissed the movement as dangerous and impractical, the Democratic and
Republican parties have each proposed legislation to address police reform in 2020.

Full Text: COPYRIGHT 2020 Gale, a Cengage Company

Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Black Lives Matter." Gale Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2020. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints,
https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/RMBGVS336742654/OVIC?u=csunorthridge&sid=OVIC&xid=a452777c. Accessed 28 Oct. 2020.
Gale Document Number: GALE|RMBGVS336742654