Black History Month: Black Lives Matter

The Black Lives Matter movement began in 2013, in response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting death of unarmed Trayvon Martin.  The movement spread in 2014 when unarmed Eric Garner in Staten Island, New York, and Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri were killed by police.

Community organizers Alicia Garza, Opal Tometi, and Patrisse Cullors used the social media hashtag #BlackLivesMatter and set off a movement that has brought attention to the ongoing violence towards Black men, women, and children at the hands of law enforcement and vigilantes.  The names of some of the victims most associated with Black Lives Matter are Trayvon Martin, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Eric Garner, and Michael Brown.  The movement addresses racism and inequality around the globe.  Chapters of Black Lives Matter have spread across the United States and around the world, with protests in Europe and Canada.

In 2014, Black Lives Matter inspired the #SayHerName campaign by the African American Policy Forum (AAPF) and the Center for Intersectionality and Social Policy Studies (CISPS).  The campaign brings awareness to the names and stories of Black women and girls who have been victimized by racist police violence.