What Is The #BlackLivesMatter Movement?
Black Lives Matter is a movement aimed to help the unequal treatment towards black individuals. Things such as police brutality, prejudice, and to get more people talking about race. The movements and many organizations are working to rebuild the black liberation movement. The movement began in 2013 after Trayvon Martin was shot and killed by a policeman after returning home from the store. This story of an innocent black sparked something in the POC (people of color) that were tired of the oppression.
Who Started #BlackLivesMatter?
Alicia Garza, Opal Tometi, Patrisse Cullors. Three ladies who brought the trending hashtag #blacklivesmatter from social media onto the streets. After Trayvon Martin’s death in 2013 that went without punishment, they decided it was time to finally try to end the unfair treatment to young black kids (no matter sexuality, gender identity, or disabilities). Together they help take a small movement from St. Louis, MO and turn into something much bigger. All three women have a had a part in social justice for POC before the point of creating the BLM movement.
Social Studies
For this aspect of my project I created a piece comparing and contrasting two different movements: Black Lives Matter and All Lives Matter. Here is just a piece of my essay:
On the 26th of February, 2012, Trayvon Martin was shot and killed by a neighborhood watch volunteer in Sanford, Florida. Trayvon was heading back from a 7-Eleven with a bag of skittles and tea when he decided to put his dark gray hoodie up. On his walk home George Zimmerman saw Trayvon and decide he seemed suspicious, (this later will be described as racial profiling.) With his 9mm semiautomatic handgun, Zimmerman shot a bullet into Trayvon's left chest, killing him instantly. At 7:30 pm Trayvon was pronounced dead. He was 17 years old when his life was taken from him. It was after this death due to racial profiling that the movement 'Black Lives Matter' would be created. "Black Lives Matter is an ideological and political intervention in a world where Black lives are systematically and intentionally targeted for demise." (Herstory p.2). The movement 'Black Lives Matter' has had a greater impact on society than all lives matter because of the people behind the movement, the lack of representation in All Lives Matter, and because of what blm stands for.
One of the main reasons Black Lives Matter has had a greater impact on society than All Lives Matter has is because of the people who created the movement. Alicia Garza, Opal Tometi, Patrisse Cullors are the three ladies who brought the trending hashtag #blacklivesmatter from social media onto the streets. After Trayvon Martin’s death in 2012 that went without punishment, they decided it was time to finally try to end the unfair treatment to young black kids (no matter sexuality, gender identity, or disabilities). Together they help take a small movement from St. Louis, MO and turn into something much bigger. "Opal, Patrisse, and I created the infrastructure for this movement project—moving the hashtag from social media to the streets.” ("Herstory p.4), Alicia says in her article on BlackLivesMatter.com.
Also, the Black Lives Matter movement is not the first time these ladies have been involved in social justice, each of them have a background in working for equality in society to some degree. Patrisse is a Truth and Reinvestment director at the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights. She looks at the impact of police in black neighborhoods and the impact that it has. "After seeing family members in and out of jail her whole life..I witnessed a lot of state violence, and this movement saved my life.” (Herstory p.4). Alicia works at National Domestic Workers Alliance as a special projects director. Focusing on intersections of racial, economic, and gender justice, Opal is the executive director for Black Alliance for Just Immigration. This is America’s only organization for black immigrants and African Americans. She says, “Being the daughter of Nigerian immigrants really drove me to do this type of work.” ("Herstory p.4)
The women who created Black Lives Matter are not the only people involved, of course. Unlike many people believe, Twitter is a very good place to find activist for the black lives matter movement. Buzzfeed recently put out a video called "I'm An Activist, But I'm Not" and it features two Black Lives Matter activists who have been a key part of the movement. One of them is Deray McKesson, an activist who has been a part of many protest for equality, and in this video he talks a lot about what it means to be an activist. "The world won't change just because we wish it to, we have to work to make it happen. And that work is slow and hard and painful sometimes but it requires real work to change things"( I'm an Activist) is one of Delray's first lines in the video. He also said a very important line that relates to all activism, not just Black Lives Matter. Deray stated: "There is no one type of activist and no one type of activism" (I'm An Activist) The last thing Deray stated in the video is very important to the BLM movement. He speaks about how big this movement is and how much will power it will take from everyone, not just a few. This is vital to BLM because many people see it as just a hashtag that you can tweet and it means you support black people, that's not the case. This is what Deray said, "I'm an activist and this movement is bigger than me, it's bigger than you, it will take all of us to win."(I'm An Activist). Deray was not the only BLM protester/activist in the video, Johnetta Elzie Is a very important person in this movement. She has been arrested at protests and helps out as an activist as much as she can. In this video she says one sentence that completely sums up the BLM movement. She states, "I'm an activist and without justice there will be no peace"(I'm An Activist).
One of the main reasons Black Lives Matter has had a greater impact on society than All Lives Matter has is because of the people who created the movement. Alicia Garza, Opal Tometi, Patrisse Cullors are the three ladies who brought the trending hashtag #blacklivesmatter from social media onto the streets. After Trayvon Martin’s death in 2012 that went without punishment, they decided it was time to finally try to end the unfair treatment to young black kids (no matter sexuality, gender identity, or disabilities). Together they help take a small movement from St. Louis, MO and turn into something much bigger. "Opal, Patrisse, and I created the infrastructure for this movement project—moving the hashtag from social media to the streets.” ("Herstory p.4), Alicia says in her article on BlackLivesMatter.com.
Also, the Black Lives Matter movement is not the first time these ladies have been involved in social justice, each of them have a background in working for equality in society to some degree. Patrisse is a Truth and Reinvestment director at the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights. She looks at the impact of police in black neighborhoods and the impact that it has. "After seeing family members in and out of jail her whole life..I witnessed a lot of state violence, and this movement saved my life.” (Herstory p.4). Alicia works at National Domestic Workers Alliance as a special projects director. Focusing on intersections of racial, economic, and gender justice, Opal is the executive director for Black Alliance for Just Immigration. This is America’s only organization for black immigrants and African Americans. She says, “Being the daughter of Nigerian immigrants really drove me to do this type of work.” ("Herstory p.4)
The women who created Black Lives Matter are not the only people involved, of course. Unlike many people believe, Twitter is a very good place to find activist for the black lives matter movement. Buzzfeed recently put out a video called "I'm An Activist, But I'm Not" and it features two Black Lives Matter activists who have been a key part of the movement. One of them is Deray McKesson, an activist who has been a part of many protest for equality, and in this video he talks a lot about what it means to be an activist. "The world won't change just because we wish it to, we have to work to make it happen. And that work is slow and hard and painful sometimes but it requires real work to change things"( I'm an Activist) is one of Delray's first lines in the video. He also said a very important line that relates to all activism, not just Black Lives Matter. Deray stated: "There is no one type of activist and no one type of activism" (I'm An Activist) The last thing Deray stated in the video is very important to the BLM movement. He speaks about how big this movement is and how much will power it will take from everyone, not just a few. This is vital to BLM because many people see it as just a hashtag that you can tweet and it means you support black people, that's not the case. This is what Deray said, "I'm an activist and this movement is bigger than me, it's bigger than you, it will take all of us to win."(I'm An Activist). Deray was not the only BLM protester/activist in the video, Johnetta Elzie Is a very important person in this movement. She has been arrested at protests and helps out as an activist as much as she can. In this video she says one sentence that completely sums up the BLM movement. She states, "I'm an activist and without justice there will be no peace"(I'm An Activist).
see the rest of the essay here:
English
The Black Lives Matter movement has sparked not only protest but art, music, and poems. With that, I wanted to focus on three poems: a BLM from today's time, an ALM poem from today, and a BLM from before black lives matter was ever created. Here is what I gathered from analyzing:
BOLD = sentence I'm referring to
ITALICS = poem
• BULLET = analyzing
(2015)
ALL LIVES MATTER
BY AMBER BINFORD
Fear is what they clothe them in.
Fear of losing their life because of one mistake.
Fear of losing their life because an officer is having
a bad day.
Some say it's not racism;
• Right away, this cancelled out any chance of this poem focusing on white people.
• Because of the privilege white people hold, they are unable to experience racism, yes they can experience prejudice, but not racism.
"It's police brutality."
Whatever you call it, I can't
help but ask "where is humanity?"
Mothers weeping because they're losing their sons.
Teaching them to fight back with silence
but that is no weapon compared to a gun.
Six feet under, leaving families to fight for justice
over their lives.
Societies getting tired of it all-
starting riots and constructing strikes.
How many more time will history repeat itself?
Or are we still writing [his]tory , using coverups
as help?
All lives matter despite of their race.
All lives matter despite their mistakes.
• this poem was doing a fantastic job of touching up on key points of the institutional racism in our society, up until this point.
• The entire poem seems to be focusing on police brutality towards young kids, and knowing this poem was written in 2015, I would infer it was targeted towards black kids
• When they added "All" instead of "Black" it takes the focus away from black kids who are the likeliest victims of police brutality
• Although, I do see this poet saying "all lives matter" in a way that is not to shut down someone saying "black lives matter". The context of this "all lives matter" being said to the cops, but still, we should be focusing on black lives.
In times such as these justice will demand to be served.
No matter how chaotic, crazy, or obscured.
Life is a gift, one that we should all treasure.
Because all lives matter and we need to protect them;
no matter the measure.
• NOTE: saying black lives matter is not saying white lives don't matter. I feel, as do many others,nth at this is a key reason why people are afraid of saying BLM! Because to them it feels like we are saying other lives don't.
(2015)
ALL LIVES MATTER: 1800s EDITION
ANTHONY MCPHERSON
Just because I own slaves, doesn't mean I'm racist
* this is a reference to when white people today say stuff like, "just because I say the N word, doesn't mean I'm racist"
I don't even see color
You're racist for being slaves
My closest friends are house negroes
Look, I didn't ask to have all this cotton
It's not my fault that the cotton is profitable
Don't blame me for something my grandfathers grandfathers planted.
• a comparison to when people say, "don't blame white people for slavery, it's our ancestors fault, not ours!"
And if cotton is "so bad", why are you wearing it?
Don't act innocent
This is the fabric of all our lives
You know what just really shines my shoes?
You can give birth to a light skinned child and everything fine
And I put on a little bit of black face and "oh that's racist"
How?
Black face comes off
You're white face is forever.
This is not the dream, that Abraham Lincoln gave speeches for
Racism ended with the 3/5th compromise
• A common argument people who say "All Lives Matter" use is: slavery ended and so did racism!
• This poet is turning that statement into one that would be said in the 1800s and it is able to show more clearly how ridiculous people sound when they say it.
Everyone is equal, we have a black overseer.
• "We have a black president"therefore we are apparently all equal
Slavery is a choice
If you didn't want to get locked up
You should have kept running after we captured your wife,
Like come on.
Make good decisions or face the consequences
• A form of victim blaming towards black people who have been a victim to police brutality is "you should have done ____"
• Meaning, instead of helping black people who (most of the time) are not at fault when it comes to extreme police brutality,you find ways to blame them for their own misfortune
• By saying slaves should have "kept running" he's once again putting into perspective how ridiculous someone sounds when they tell a black kid they should have "corporates with the police better", "got on the ground faster", "not worn their hood up".
99% of blacks are more likely to escape the north
That's not racist, it's just a fact.
When will you people realize?
Under grounds railroads will only create racial divide.
• Putting a new perspective on the argument of "black lives matter only separates races"
• BLM is not separating races but making people focus on a race that has years of racism, oppression, segregation, and discrimination in its history.
Why?
We are all red on the inside
Look at your brothers body
Rope doesn't make his neck any different than mine
My accountant hung himself so we are all struggling with something
Don't judge a book that you're not allowed to read
My house is like two stories, tops
Real masters live in mansions
I'm a slave like you
Only through love and working together can we get our emancipation
We the people?
How about WE the people.
• This is a spoken word poem so I have to type out that when he says "we" for the second time he hits his chest to show that he is a white person that wants to be focused on.
• Once again, a reference to a supporter of "All Lives Matter"
Black lives matter?
How about All Lives Matter?
LET AMERICA BE AMERICA AGAIN
LANGSTON HUGHES
Let America be America again.
Let it be the dream it used to be.
Let it be the pioneer on the plain
Seeking a home where he himself is free.
* In this first stanza it, the authors talks about his yearning for America to go back to how it once was
(America never was America to me.)
Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed--
Let it be that great strong land of love
Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme
That any man be crushed by one above.
• This image of America never existed and is false because early America was filled with tyrants and full of segregation and racism.
• That's why "America never was America" to Hughes.
(It never was America to me.)
O, let my land be a land where Liberty
Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath,
But opportunity is real, and life is free,
Equality is in the air we breathe.
• This is what he wants America to be even though it has never been that.
• He wants freedom and equality and opportunity, but it's not there
(There’s never been equality for me,
Nor freedom in this “homeland of the free.”)
• During these side stanzas, Hughes is stating that America never was America for him because of his skin color.
• He has never been seen as equal in this "land of the free"
Say, who are you that mumbles in the dark?
And who are you that draws your veil across the stars?
I am the poor white, fooled and pushed apart,
I am the Negro bearing slavery’s scars.
I am the red man driven from the land,
I am the immigrant clutching the hope I seek--
And finding only the same old stupid plan
Of dog eat dog, of mighty crush the weak.
• During this stanza, the feeling of empathy shows through the most. Hughes compares his oppression to other other minorities who never got their "free America"
• America has always been the superior pushing down the people who aren't like them.
I am the young man, full of strength and hope,
Tangled in that ancient endless chain
Of profit, power, gain, of grab the land!
Of grab the gold! Of grab the ways of satisfying need!
Of work the men! Of take the pay!
Of owning everything for one’s own greed!
• He explains how he is a hard working man but he will never be able to show that because of the racism found in his past.
• because of his years of segregation and oppression no one will ever be able to understand that he's a hard-working man
I am the farmer, bondsman to the soil.
I am the worker sold to the machine.
I am the Negro, servant to you all.
I am the people, humble, hungry, mean--
Hungry yet today despite the dream.
Beaten yet today—O, Pioneers!
I am the man who never got ahead,
The poorest worker bartered through the years.
• because of his skin color he is only seen as a worker to the white man and because of this he's never going to be able to go out and do what he wants as an individual. He will never be able to see America as the land of the free
• this is in reference to the line I am the, “Negro servant to you all”
ITALICS = poem
• BULLET = analyzing
(2015)
ALL LIVES MATTER
BY AMBER BINFORD
Fear is what they clothe them in.
Fear of losing their life because of one mistake.
Fear of losing their life because an officer is having
a bad day.
Some say it's not racism;
• Right away, this cancelled out any chance of this poem focusing on white people.
• Because of the privilege white people hold, they are unable to experience racism, yes they can experience prejudice, but not racism.
"It's police brutality."
Whatever you call it, I can't
help but ask "where is humanity?"
Mothers weeping because they're losing their sons.
Teaching them to fight back with silence
but that is no weapon compared to a gun.
Six feet under, leaving families to fight for justice
over their lives.
Societies getting tired of it all-
starting riots and constructing strikes.
How many more time will history repeat itself?
Or are we still writing [his]tory , using coverups
as help?
All lives matter despite of their race.
All lives matter despite their mistakes.
• this poem was doing a fantastic job of touching up on key points of the institutional racism in our society, up until this point.
• The entire poem seems to be focusing on police brutality towards young kids, and knowing this poem was written in 2015, I would infer it was targeted towards black kids
• When they added "All" instead of "Black" it takes the focus away from black kids who are the likeliest victims of police brutality
• Although, I do see this poet saying "all lives matter" in a way that is not to shut down someone saying "black lives matter". The context of this "all lives matter" being said to the cops, but still, we should be focusing on black lives.
In times such as these justice will demand to be served.
No matter how chaotic, crazy, or obscured.
Life is a gift, one that we should all treasure.
Because all lives matter and we need to protect them;
no matter the measure.
• NOTE: saying black lives matter is not saying white lives don't matter. I feel, as do many others,nth at this is a key reason why people are afraid of saying BLM! Because to them it feels like we are saying other lives don't.
(2015)
ALL LIVES MATTER: 1800s EDITION
ANTHONY MCPHERSON
Just because I own slaves, doesn't mean I'm racist
* this is a reference to when white people today say stuff like, "just because I say the N word, doesn't mean I'm racist"
I don't even see color
You're racist for being slaves
My closest friends are house negroes
Look, I didn't ask to have all this cotton
It's not my fault that the cotton is profitable
Don't blame me for something my grandfathers grandfathers planted.
• a comparison to when people say, "don't blame white people for slavery, it's our ancestors fault, not ours!"
And if cotton is "so bad", why are you wearing it?
Don't act innocent
This is the fabric of all our lives
You know what just really shines my shoes?
You can give birth to a light skinned child and everything fine
And I put on a little bit of black face and "oh that's racist"
How?
Black face comes off
You're white face is forever.
This is not the dream, that Abraham Lincoln gave speeches for
Racism ended with the 3/5th compromise
• A common argument people who say "All Lives Matter" use is: slavery ended and so did racism!
• This poet is turning that statement into one that would be said in the 1800s and it is able to show more clearly how ridiculous people sound when they say it.
Everyone is equal, we have a black overseer.
• "We have a black president"therefore we are apparently all equal
Slavery is a choice
If you didn't want to get locked up
You should have kept running after we captured your wife,
Like come on.
Make good decisions or face the consequences
• A form of victim blaming towards black people who have been a victim to police brutality is "you should have done ____"
• Meaning, instead of helping black people who (most of the time) are not at fault when it comes to extreme police brutality,you find ways to blame them for their own misfortune
• By saying slaves should have "kept running" he's once again putting into perspective how ridiculous someone sounds when they tell a black kid they should have "corporates with the police better", "got on the ground faster", "not worn their hood up".
99% of blacks are more likely to escape the north
That's not racist, it's just a fact.
When will you people realize?
Under grounds railroads will only create racial divide.
• Putting a new perspective on the argument of "black lives matter only separates races"
• BLM is not separating races but making people focus on a race that has years of racism, oppression, segregation, and discrimination in its history.
Why?
We are all red on the inside
Look at your brothers body
Rope doesn't make his neck any different than mine
My accountant hung himself so we are all struggling with something
Don't judge a book that you're not allowed to read
My house is like two stories, tops
Real masters live in mansions
I'm a slave like you
Only through love and working together can we get our emancipation
We the people?
How about WE the people.
• This is a spoken word poem so I have to type out that when he says "we" for the second time he hits his chest to show that he is a white person that wants to be focused on.
• Once again, a reference to a supporter of "All Lives Matter"
Black lives matter?
How about All Lives Matter?
LET AMERICA BE AMERICA AGAIN
LANGSTON HUGHES
Let America be America again.
Let it be the dream it used to be.
Let it be the pioneer on the plain
Seeking a home where he himself is free.
* In this first stanza it, the authors talks about his yearning for America to go back to how it once was
(America never was America to me.)
Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed--
Let it be that great strong land of love
Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme
That any man be crushed by one above.
• This image of America never existed and is false because early America was filled with tyrants and full of segregation and racism.
• That's why "America never was America" to Hughes.
(It never was America to me.)
O, let my land be a land where Liberty
Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath,
But opportunity is real, and life is free,
Equality is in the air we breathe.
• This is what he wants America to be even though it has never been that.
• He wants freedom and equality and opportunity, but it's not there
(There’s never been equality for me,
Nor freedom in this “homeland of the free.”)
• During these side stanzas, Hughes is stating that America never was America for him because of his skin color.
• He has never been seen as equal in this "land of the free"
Say, who are you that mumbles in the dark?
And who are you that draws your veil across the stars?
I am the poor white, fooled and pushed apart,
I am the Negro bearing slavery’s scars.
I am the red man driven from the land,
I am the immigrant clutching the hope I seek--
And finding only the same old stupid plan
Of dog eat dog, of mighty crush the weak.
• During this stanza, the feeling of empathy shows through the most. Hughes compares his oppression to other other minorities who never got their "free America"
• America has always been the superior pushing down the people who aren't like them.
I am the young man, full of strength and hope,
Tangled in that ancient endless chain
Of profit, power, gain, of grab the land!
Of grab the gold! Of grab the ways of satisfying need!
Of work the men! Of take the pay!
Of owning everything for one’s own greed!
• He explains how he is a hard working man but he will never be able to show that because of the racism found in his past.
• because of his years of segregation and oppression no one will ever be able to understand that he's a hard-working man
I am the farmer, bondsman to the soil.
I am the worker sold to the machine.
I am the Negro, servant to you all.
I am the people, humble, hungry, mean--
Hungry yet today despite the dream.
Beaten yet today—O, Pioneers!
I am the man who never got ahead,
The poorest worker bartered through the years.
• because of his skin color he is only seen as a worker to the white man and because of this he's never going to be able to go out and do what he wants as an individual. He will never be able to see America as the land of the free
• this is in reference to the line I am the, “Negro servant to you all”
Art
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My art piece is a painting based on a photo from the Ferguson protests, done with acrylic on canvas. The reason I chose my reference photo is because of my theme for the project; my theme was Dreamers, Thinkers, and Doers. During the protest many people turned from dreamers/thinkers into doers by risking their lives out on the street. This caused me to pick, what I believe to be the most powerful photo of those protests.
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My final piece of art has a lot of symbolism and representation in it. For example, the yellow in the flag is the same yellow they use on the official black lives matter website. The anchor on the flag is the same symbol that represents unapologetically black, the ideology that I find most important to the black lives matter movement. I like to use primary colors as my color schemes to help me with my contrast.
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