Black Lives Matter Movement
Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a global organisation in the US, UK and Canada. The mission and motivation behind BLM is to eradicate white supremacy and stop the violence inflicted on black communities.
Black Lives Matter was formed in the USA following the Ferguson unrest back in 2014. BLM is a non-profit organisation and its broader movements typically lean towards being against police violence towards black people, as well as policy changes that could lead to fairer treatment.
In 2013, the movement began with the simple use of the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter across social media. This then gave the organisation the power to be nationally recognised which then followed with the arrangement of street demonstrations to which thousands then joined the movement.
Although the movement has been around for some years, recent events have seen the organisation return to international headlines with everyone now wanting to know more about the group and its motivations. Following on from the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis in the US, an estimated 15 million to 26 million people participated in the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests across the USA making Black Lives Matter, one of the largest, if not the largest, movements in the history of the United States.
George Floyd’s death has prompted many people to self-educate and better inform themselves of the goings on and why the movement is happening. Various protests have since taken placed around the globe to try to provide unity and understanding towards the situation. In the UK there have been various protests across the country to show support for the movement. Support doesn’t always come in the form of protests either with Premier League footballers wearing ‘Black Lives Matter’ on the back of their shirts during the first game back of the season in June 2020 to show support and many online retailers such as ASOS donating a percentage of their profits to the movement.
It is evident that the Black Lives Matter community will continue to grow and educate people over the coming years and as it continues to grow, the understanding of the movement is paramount to promoting change. We have put together what we feel are good resources for you to read and learn about:
Black Lives Matter: Youth Music
