The History of BLM
Introduction
Black Lives Matter. This is a statement should not be controversial. It is not a statement that takes away from the importance of all lives, but sheds light on the fact that some lives don’t seem to have the same importance in society as others. Throughout history and even today, the justice system has been disregarding black lives. With this fact, the BLM movement was created to help uplift black voices and prove that their lives deserve to be valued. In this article, the history of the #BlackLivesMatter movement and civil rights activist/organizations will be discussed.
BLM
In 2013, three Black organizers by the names of Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi created a Black-centered political movement that took upon the name of #BlackLivesMatter. This began in response to demanding justice and accountability for Trayvon Martin’s murderer, George Zimmerman. As the movement started to develop in 2013 and 2014, other groups and organizations used it as a way to further spread the message of anti-Black racism across the country in all its shapes and forms.
In 2014, Mike Brown was killed by Ferguson police officer, Darren Wilson. In support of the community that’s been continuously brutalized by Ferguson and St. Louis police, Darnell Moore and Patrisse Cullors organized a national ride during Labor Day weekend of that year. In the span of 15 days a plan was developed for two purposes: to support the ground team in St. Louis and to show an example to other communities that are facing the same injustice. Over 600 people gathered for the plan.
Organizers went back to their homes and developed Black Lives Matter chapters in their communities. This expanded the movement and made it reach high status in society and the media. Now, the goal of this global network is to support the development of Black leaders and create a space for Black people to feel empowered.
Civil Rights Activists
Civil rights leaders and activists are the reason people are willing to fight against prejudice and injustice. They give individuals the power to speak up, even against corrupt authority. Some activists that are well known for their fight against injustice and lasting impact in history include, but not limited to, Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Malcom X and much more. These people paved the way of what is now a Black Lives Matter movement.
Civil Rights Organizations
Prior to the Black Lives Matter movement, many organizations were created throughout history to combat the same issues that Black people face daily. It begins with the first major all-Black civil rights organization, the National Afro-American League. The National Afro-American League was created in 1890 by former slave owner T. Thomas Fortune. It targeted the South to fight against discrimination and change the weakened 14th and 15th amendments (which gave citizenship and the right to vote to African Americans).
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was another prominent civil rights organization in the early 1900s. It was founded in response to the widespread lynching's of African Americans in the South. During the 1920s the NAACP developed as a mass organization, becoming the largest American civil rights group with a multitude of sub-branches.
Lastly, The Black Panthers was one of the more controversial civil rights organizations in history. It was found in Oakland in 1966 by Bobby Seale and Huey P. Newton. They were popular for bearing firearms near police, running medical clinics, and free breakfast programs for the poor. They had a detailed program that emphasized social and economic justice, one of which being ending police brutality. They had a reputation of using violence to establish their cause, which labeled them as controversial.
Conclusion
Did you notice a pattern? There have been countless attempts to make Black lives matter. It is evident that most things haven’t changed. It is a fact that Black lives had and still have second class importance to government systems and legislation. Just by looking at history you will see that everything has been repeated. The NAACP was trying to accomplish the same thing as #BlackLivesMatter, and so was Martin Luther King, Malcom X and Black Panthers. This article only mentioned a few organizations and activists that have strived to make a change, but there were/are thousands more. They all tend to begin with a murder or killing, how many more people must die before there is permanent change?
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