How Black Lives Matter Changed the Way Americans Fight for Freedom …
UPDATE: Please see a message from the author at the bottom of this article.
Freedom fighters around the globe commemorate July 13 as the day that three Black women helped give birth to a movement. In the five short years since #Black LivesMatter arrived on the scene thanks to the creative genius of Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza, and Opal Tometti the push for Black liberation from state-inflicted violence has evolved into one of the most influential social movements of the post-civil rights era.
Black Lives Matter has always been more of a human rights movement rather than a civil rights movement. BLMs focus has been less about changing specific laws and more about fighting for a fundamental reordering of society wherein Black lives are free from systematic dehumanization. Still, the movements measurable impact on the political and legal landscape is undeniable.
What gets referred to as the Black Lives Matter movement is, in actuality, the collective labor of a wide range of Black liberation organizations, each which their own distinct histories. These organizations include groups like the Black Youth Project 100, the Dream Defenders, Assatas Daughters, the St. Louis Action council, Millennial Activists United, and the Organization for Black Struggle, to name just a few.
Collectively, since 2013, these organizers have effected significant change locally and nationally, including the ousting of high-profile corrupt prosecutors. In Chicago, the labor of groups such as BYP100 and Assatas Daughters, among others, led Anita Alvarez who had inexplicably failed to charge police officers who shot at least 68 people to death to lose her re-election bid for Cook County prosecutor. And in Florida, groups like The Dream Defenders and others helped end Angela Coreys reign as a state attorney. Corey remains infamous for failing to convict Trayvon Martins killer George Zimmerman while prosecuting Marissa Alexander, a Black woman who didnt hurt anyone when firing a warning shot at her abusive ex-husband.
Podcast: Hear Patrisse Cullors on the Evolution of Black Lives Matter
The BLM movements work certainly doesnt stop there. Students on the ground in Missouri, as part of the #ConcernedStudent1950 movement, helped lead to the resignation of the University of Missouri president over his failure to deal with racism on campus. BLM compelled Democrats to restructure their national platform to include issues such as criminal justice reform, and the movement contributed to the election of Black leftist organizers to public office, such as activist Chokwe Lumumba to mayor of Jackson, Mississippi.
The BLM movements unrelenting work on the issue of police corruption, helped incite the release of four unprecedented U.S. Department of Justice reports that confirm the widespread presence of police corruption in Baltimore, Chicago, Ferguson, and Cleveland. Moreover, the Movement for Black Lives publication of a watershed multi-agenda policy platform authored by over 50 black-centered organizations laid bare the expansive policy goals of the movement. The fact that these accomplishments have happened so quickly is an extraordinary achievement in and of itself.
Moreover, the broader cultural impact of BLM as a movement has been immeasurably expansive. BLM will forever be remembered as the movement responsible for popularizing what has now become an indispensable tool in 21st-century organizing efforts: the phenomenon that scholars refer to as mediated mobilization. By using the tools of social media, BLM was the first U.S. social movement in history to successfully use the internet as a mass mobilization device. The recent successes of movements, such as #MeToo, #NeverAgain, and #TimesUp, would be inconceivable had it not been for the groundwork that #BlackLivesMatter laid.
Many have suggested, erroneously, that the BLM movement has quieted down in the age of Trump. Nothing could be further from the truth. If anything the opposite is true: BLM is stronger, larger, and more global now than ever before. The success of initiatives such as Alicia Garzas Black Census Project the largest national survey focusing on U.S. black lives in over 150 years and Patrisse Cullors launch of the grassroots effort Dignity and Power Now in support of incarcerated people, both exemplify the BLM movements continued impact, particularly in local communities.
The idea that BLM is in a decline stage is false. Instead, what is true is that American mainstream media has been much less willing to actually cover the concerns of the BLM in part because it has been consumed by the daily catastrophes of the Trump presidency. Nonetheless, it would be a mistake to assume that BLM is dwindling away simply because the cameras are no longer present. The revolution is still happening it is just not being televised. All throughout the country, BLM organizers are at work in their local communities feverishly fighting for change and relentlessly speaking truth to power. For instance, The Dream Defenders in Florida just released their visionary project The Freedom Papers, and BYP100 just celebrated its five-year anniversary.
Ironically, many of the debates that have come to define the age of Trump, such as the immigration debate, are arguably indirectly influenced by BLM. A notable example: Recently, some congressional Democrats have called for the abolition of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which has been violating the rights of undocumented immigrants. What has been missing in much of the mainstream coverage of the ICE debate is an acknowledgment of how the democratic lefts radicalization would not have been possible without the efforts of Black radical grassroots social movements, such as BLM.
Indeed, long before congressional Democrats dared to call for the abolition of ICE, #blacklivesmatter activists pioneered the call for an end of modern policing in America. The language of abolition comes directly from the work of grassroots activists, such as those in the Black Lives Matter Global Network. Their work helped to revive a long black radical tradition of engaging the rhetoric of abolitionism.
We literally would not even be using the word abolition let alone embracing it as a framework had it not been for the labor of BLM activists. The fact that Democrats are gradually calling for the abolition of ICE is a testimony to the continued impact of BLM as a social movement.
As we reflect on five years of BLM, we would do well to consider the myriad ways that #blacklivesmatter has influenced our contemporary moment and given us a framework for imagining what democracy in action really looks like. Whether it be transforming how we talk about police violence or transforming how we talk about abolitionism, the BLM movement has succeeded in transforming how Americans talk about, think about, and organize for freedom.
Frank Leon Roberts is the founder of the Black Lives Matter Syllabus and teaches at New York University.
A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: An earlier version of this essay inadvertently conflated two important distinctions: Black Lives Matter, the organization, vs. Black Lives Matter, the movement. Black Lives Matter, the organization, is a global decentralized network with over 30 chapters across the world. Black Lives Matter, the movement, is a broad conceptual umbrella that refers to the important work of a wide range of Black liberation organizations. Sometimes referred to as the Movement for Black Lives, the achievements of the Black Lives Matter movement would not be possible had it not been for the collective efforts of groups such as Black Youth Project 100, the Dream Defenders, Assatas Daughters, the St. Louis Action council, Millennial Activists United, and the Organization for Black Struggle, to name just a few. This essay is an attempt to celebrate the movement without attributing the movements achievements solely to Black Lives Matter, the organization.
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How Black Lives Matter Changed the Way Americans Fight for Freedom ...
- Community continues to demand answers concerning Rayvon Shahid during Black Lives Matter protests - Flint Courier News - November 28th, 2024 [November 28th, 2024]
- Black Lives Matter protests police shooting of 17-year-old in Flint - WJRT - November 24th, 2024 [November 24th, 2024]
- Black Lives Matter Flint hosts three-day protest for death of 17-year-old Rayvon Shahid - WEYI - November 21st, 2024 [November 21st, 2024]
- Davis, Black Lives Matter say police discipline bill is being rushed - WVPE Public Media - November 21st, 2024 [November 21st, 2024]
- Revealed: Starmer called for an export ban on police gear to Trump during the Black Lives Matter protests in 2 - Daily Mail - November 14th, 2024 [November 14th, 2024]
- Black Lives Matter activist to vote for Donald Trump: 'I definitely would not be supporting Kamala Harris' - Fox News - November 5th, 2024 [November 5th, 2024]
- Black Lives Matter activist to vote for Donald Trump: 'I definitely would not be supporting Kamala Harris' - MSN - November 5th, 2024 [November 5th, 2024]
- Black Lives Matter activist to vote for Donald Trump: 'I definitely would not be supporting Kamala Harris' - AOL - November 5th, 2024 [November 5th, 2024]
- Lake County Black Lives Matter co-founder going to jail on contempt charge: They said I was trying to incite a riot - Chicago Tribune - November 5th, 2024 [November 5th, 2024]
- Portland Book Festival: Robert Samuels, author of His Name Is George Floyd, reflects on the police killing that ignited Black Lives Matter - Oregon... - October 31st, 2024 [October 31st, 2024]
- Jury awards $6M to family members of Black Lives Matter protester killed by a car on Seattle freeway - Yahoo! Voices - September 16th, 2024 [September 16th, 2024]
- Jury awards $6M to family members of Black Lives Matter protester killed by a car on Seattle freeway - The Associated Press - September 16th, 2024 [September 16th, 2024]
- City of Ft. Lauderdale could stand trial following class action lawsuit after judge rules police have immunity in Black Lives Matter protester case -... - September 10th, 2024 [September 10th, 2024]
- Participating in Black Lives Matter Protest Isn't Protected by Federal Labor Law - Reason - August 29th, 2024 [August 29th, 2024]
- NYPD texted one another to Kick their a before mass arrests at Black Lives Matter protest - Gothamist - August 29th, 2024 [August 29th, 2024]
- One decade later: How Ferguson boosted the Black Lives Matter movement - The Alestle - August 29th, 2024 [August 29th, 2024]
- NYPD texted one another to Kick their a before mass arrests at Black Lives Matter protest - R Street - August 29th, 2024 [August 29th, 2024]
- From Ferguson to Minneapolis, AP reporters recall flashpoints of the Black Lives Matter movement - Toronto Star - August 29th, 2024 [August 29th, 2024]
- J.D. Vances 2020 Black Lives Matter Lie Shows the Threat He Really Is - The New Republic - August 18th, 2024 [August 18th, 2024]
- How Do I Put This? J.D. Vance Thinks Amazon Funded the Black Lives Matter Movement. - Esquire - August 18th, 2024 [August 18th, 2024]
- Black Lives Matter Attacks Democratic Party for Anointing Kamala Harris without Primary Votes - National Review - July 24th, 2024 [July 24th, 2024]
- Black Lives Matter slams Democrats for 'anointing' Kamala Harris without primary vote - The National Desk - July 24th, 2024 [July 24th, 2024]
- California teachers were right to severely punish girl, 7, for writing these words under Black Lives Matter dr - Daily Mail - July 24th, 2024 [July 24th, 2024]
- A 2020 Black Lives Matter protest is revived as a neighborhood celebration in Mantua - WHYY - July 14th, 2024 [July 14th, 2024]
- Plymouth man accused of causing tens of thousands in damage to church, Pride and Black Lives Matter flags - Fall River Reporter - July 10th, 2024 [July 10th, 2024]
- Florida Republicans terrorized a teacher for her Black Lives Matter flag but now she's prevailed - Salon - June 24th, 2024 [June 24th, 2024]
- Black Lives Matter sign to return. Sacramento's Oak Park monument will receive updates - ABC10.com KXTV - May 7th, 2024 [May 7th, 2024]
- Cincinnati Artist Collective Creates Sculptural Series that Spells Out Black Lives Matter - Cincinnati CityBeat - May 7th, 2024 [May 7th, 2024]
- Viral SF Karen who went on rant against Fil Am man speaks out AsAmNews - AsAmNews - May 7th, 2024 [May 7th, 2024]
- Black History Matters; MET Gala Attendee Lewis Hamilton Is Taking On The World With One Outfit at a Time - EssentiallySports - May 7th, 2024 [May 7th, 2024]
- Court revives fired Whole Foods worker's lawsuit over Black Lives Matter masks - New York Post - April 28th, 2024 [April 28th, 2024]
- BLM Protests: Black Women Police Chiefs Led To More Peace - NewsOne - April 28th, 2024 [April 28th, 2024]
- Man who recorded fatal shooting of Ashli Babbitt on Jan. 6 sentenced - The Washington Post - April 28th, 2024 [April 28th, 2024]
- Amid Black Lives Matter flag debate, Milton school board votes to only fly U.S. and Vermont flags - VTDigger - April 13th, 2024 [April 13th, 2024]
- Parkway sub tore down Pride and Black Lives Matter signs. He has no regrets. - St. Louis Post-Dispatch - April 13th, 2024 [April 13th, 2024]
- The mass protest decade: From the Arab Spring to Black Lives Matter - The Real News Network - April 13th, 2024 [April 13th, 2024]
- Substitute teacher escorted off the job in Chesterfield - KSDK.com - April 13th, 2024 [April 13th, 2024]
- Liberal medias latest Black Lives Matter martyr tried to murder police officers - Washington Examiner - April 13th, 2024 [April 13th, 2024]
- O.J. Simpson Is Dead. To Understand His Life, Watch These Two Shows - GQ - April 13th, 2024 [April 13th, 2024]
- What Happened to the 'Glove of Blades' Man Who Threatened Black Lives Matter Protesters? - The Root - March 22nd, 2024 [March 22nd, 2024]
- "Black Lives Mat[t]er" + "Any Life" Drawing "Not Protected by the First Amendment" in First Grade - Reason - March 22nd, 2024 [March 22nd, 2024]
- AP Black History Program Makes Discussing Black Lives Matter Optional and Won't Mention Rape - The Good Men Project - March 22nd, 2024 [March 22nd, 2024]
- Employees have a right to express support for Black Lives Matter while they're on the job, according to a historic labor ... - New Pittsburgh Courier - March 22nd, 2024 [March 22nd, 2024]
- City seeks to avoid trial over Black Lives Matter mural - Palo Alto Online - March 7th, 2024 [March 7th, 2024]
- NLRB: 'Black Lives Matter' insignia allowed New England Biz Law Update - New England Biz Law Update - March 7th, 2024 [March 7th, 2024]
- How parents talked with kids about Black Lives Matter differed by race - Futurity: Research News - February 19th, 2024 [February 19th, 2024]
- Vermont Conversation: What is happening to really ensure that Black lives matter? - VTDigger - February 19th, 2024 [February 19th, 2024]
- RFK Jr Confronted by BLM Leader Over Police Brutality - The Daily Dot - February 19th, 2024 [February 19th, 2024]
- How the Church Can Help Black Women Heal - ChristianityToday.com - February 19th, 2024 [February 19th, 2024]
- Seattle crews remove Black Lives Matter garden in Cal Anderson Park - KUOW News and Information - December 30th, 2023 [December 30th, 2023]
- City clears Black Lives Memorial Garden from Cal Anderson Park - CHS Capitol Hill Seattle News - December 30th, 2023 [December 30th, 2023]
- The City of Seattle Destroyed the Black Lives Memorial Garden - The Stranger - December 30th, 2023 [December 30th, 2023]
- Seattle removes Black Lives Matter garden from Cal Anderson Park - Crosscut - December 30th, 2023 [December 30th, 2023]
- Seattle Supporters Watch Black Lives Matter Garden Leveled After It Was Overrun by Drug Users, Homeless - The Messenger - December 30th, 2023 [December 30th, 2023]
- City finalizes $4.8M payout to protestors trapped by NYPD during 2020 BLM protest - Gothamist - October 26th, 2023 [October 26th, 2023]
- Jason Aldean removes Black Lives Matter protest footage from 'Try That In A Small Town' video - NME - July 30th, 2023 [July 30th, 2023]
- How Christian Theology Created the Need to Assert that Black Lives Matter - Religion Dispatches - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- Reckoning With the Marxists of Black Lives Matter 10 Years Later - Daily Signal - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- FBI Hired Social Media Surveillance Firm That Labeled Black Lives Matter Organizers Threat Actors - The Intercept - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- Science activism is surging. This is why | Opinion - Pennsylvania Capital-Star - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- Black men's resilience in the face of twin pandemics - KU Today - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- The English city facing up to its troubled past - BBC - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- Black Lives Matter mural in Hartford unveiled following hateful vandalism - NBC Connecticut - June 20th, 2023 [June 20th, 2023]
- Support for the Black Lives Matter Movement Has Dropped Considerably From Its Peak in 2020 - Pew Research Center - June 20th, 2023 [June 20th, 2023]
- Mayor Bowser Invites Residents to Commemorate Juneteenth 2023 ... - Executive Office of the Mayor - June 20th, 2023 [June 20th, 2023]
- Juneteenth puts focus on preserving enslavement sites - Axios - June 20th, 2023 [June 20th, 2023]
- The Racial Wage Gap Is Shrinking - The New York Times - June 20th, 2023 [June 20th, 2023]
- What does the black heart emoji mean? - Android Authority - June 20th, 2023 [June 20th, 2023]
- Opinion | America's Poverty Is Built by Design - POLITICO - May 22nd, 2023 [May 22nd, 2023]
- Opinion | America Has Become Both More and Less Dangerous Since Black Lives Matter - The New York Times - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- David Starkey in bizarre claim that left-wing wants to replace Holocaust with BLM - The Independent - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Congress should fund the BLM (no, not that one) - The Economist - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- MPD Lieutenant Charged with Obstruction of Justice and False ... - Department of Justice - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- I'm a Couples Therapist. Something New Is Happening in ... - The New York Times - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- PARTING SHOT: Don't move off the sidewalk. - University of Virginia The Cavalier Daily - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Countering organized violence in the United States - Brookings Institution - May 20th, 2023 [May 20th, 2023]
- Black Lives Matter campaigner included in king's birthday honour list - DutchNews.nl - DutchNews.nl - April 28th, 2023 [April 28th, 2023]
- From dress codes to equality, Phil Jackson is exactly who we thought he was - The Guardian - April 28th, 2023 [April 28th, 2023]
- When the Broadway Lights Went Out, Two Theater Workers Found ... - The New York Times - April 28th, 2023 [April 28th, 2023]
- How Tucker Carlson rode a wave of populist outrage - BBC - April 28th, 2023 [April 28th, 2023]