Table of Contents
Introduction
Black lives matter is both a word and a widely used hashtag that draws attention to the racism, inequality, and injustices that black people are subjected to in today’s society. Following a series of high-profile shootings by law enforcement officers in the United States, the practice quickly spread to other countries, including the United Kingdom. Statistics indicating that African-Americans in the United States target a disproportionately high number of police shootings are frequently cited by activists (Matter, 2020). According to certain accounts, the United States of America and other countries also suffer from other forms of prejudice (Szetela, 2020). They want to take action to solve the continued unfairness and unfair treatment that traces back to slavery but is still prominent in our culture. They believe that this is the best way to address the issue. After Trayvon Martin was shot and killed in Florida in 2012, the slogan saw widespread use in response to the tragedy. George Zimmerman, a volunteer for the neighborhood watch, fatally shot and murdered an unarmed black teenager named Trayvon Martin. The campaign gained momentum due to more police killings, including the murder of Eric Garner, who passed away due to being placed in a chokehold, and the shooting death of Michael Brown, who was shot by a police officer who claimed he was acting in self-defense. An officer from the police department knelt on the neck of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, during the summer of 2020. Cities located all around the world participated in holding protests under the banner of the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter. The Black Lives Matter movement has had several impacts to the American society and has really changed their cultural aspects, as well as the entire world as a whole.
Black People Treatment
The Black Lives Matter movement is working toward more than one objective at a time. There are many ways in which individuals of African descent are mistreated in society, and organizations, laws, and policies all contribute to perpetuating such treatment. Activists affiliated with BLM work hard to bring attention to these problems. The movement against racism has employed various strategies to combat it, including political activity, nonviolent protests, and letter-writing campaigns (Szetela, 2020). BLM fights against police violence and over-policing black areas while for-profit jails commit abuses. BLM is also fighting against for-profit jails. In addition to promoting the idea that police should receive better training, the group has also pushed for more accountability for misconduct committed by law enforcement. Activists affiliated with the Black Lives Matter movement have also proposed “de-funding” the police, which means significantly reducing the amount of money spent by the police to redirect that money toward community services. Some examples of such services include programs that assist individuals struggling with mental health issues and programs that aim to resolve conflicts (Ince, 2017). BLM activists have made multiple efforts to get more African Americans registered to vote and to get them to the polls. In addition, the Black Lives Matter movement has brought attention to the works of Black authors and artists.
Transformation of National Conversation
The movement contributed to the transformation of the national conversation around policing and how politicians react to high-profile acts of police violence. BLM and the Movement for Black Lives have recently come together to form a coalition that will work to promote the Breathe Act. This act is a four-part federal plan encouraging politicians to redirect funds from law enforcement agencies to community service organizations. In response to the expansion of Black Lives Matter, Garza founded the Black Futures Lab. The mission of this organization is to strengthen the political influence of the African-American community through changes in law and at the ballot box. As a result, the Black Lives Matter movement has evolved into a catch-all for pro-Black and anti-racist efforts carried out by organizations not affiliated with BLM (Ince, 2017). Even still, the cultural resonance of the term may be experienced all around the country, and this is something that is never more obvious than when it occurs on social media platforms.
Police Brutality Laws
In the United States, there has been discussion over the issue of police brutality and how laws are executed. The passing of Mr. Floyd spurred a discussion about eliminating funds for the police. In cities such as Minneapolis, Portland, Philadelphia, and Seattle, housing and education have been prioritized more than the police department. In protest of the United Kingdom’s colonial past, statues in the country tied to the slave trade were pulled down. One of the problems that black people still have to deal with was brought to light: they are more likely to contract the coronavirus. During the discussion, it was brought to everyone’s attention that certain employers fall short.
Conclusion
In conclusion, multiple goals are being pursued by the Black Lives Matter movement simultaneously. African Americans are subjected to various discriminatory societal practices, which organizations, laws, and policies can perpetuate. Activists linked with BLM work tirelessly to raise awareness of these issues. Many tactics have been used to oppose racism in the anti-racism movement, including direct action in politics and the use of nonviolent rallies and letter-writing campaigns. For-profit jails are committing atrocities as BLM is fighting back against police violence and over-policing black neighborhoods. For-profit jails are also a target of BLM’s efforts. Additionally, the group has advocated for greater responsibility for law enforcement wrongdoing and better training for police officers.
- Ince, J., Rojas, F., & Davis, C. A. (2017). The social media response to Black Lives Matter: How Twitter users interact with Black Lives Matter through hashtag use. Ethnic and racial studies, 40(11), 1814-1830.
- Matter, B. L. (2020). About black lives matter. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
- Szetela, A. (2020). Black Lives Matter at five: Limits and possibilities. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 43(8), 1358-1383.