#BlackLivesMatter: A MOVEMENT, not a moment

#BlackLivesMatter has become a trending topic on social media over the past few months.  Although I cannot recall the exact moment it became popular, it is now very prevalent, but what does it mean?  Before researching it and its origins, I could only assume what it meant.  I assumed it was a way to galvanize Black folks in the midst of widespread discrimination and overt racism.  However, upon researching the hash tag, I learned BLM is actually a movement not much different than other movements during the 1960s.  The movement started on the Internet, but has made its way onto the streets, and even into the middle of the presidential election. 

So what prompted the founders and activists to start BLM?  According to Blacklivesmatter.com, it was created in 2012 following the untimely, tragic death of Trayvon Martin.  Its founders describe it as a “call to action and a response to the virulent anti-Black racism that permeates our society.”  From what I have read about the movement, it seems to be led by Millennials who are fed up with pervasive mistreatment of Black folks in this country.  This mistreatment of Black folks is certainly nothing new and is only being covered by the national media now because there have been a rash of high profile deaths of young, unarmed Black men and women at the hands of law enforcement officers and rogue citizens acting as wannabe officers.  These deaths are only the tip of the iceberg, however.  There are so many injustices that the general public never learns about. 

Like many issues impacting the Black community over the years, the youth, through music, arts and other mediums, have been discussing these serious topics.  Because I am a big hip-hop fan, I like to examine issues from the perspective of the youth who are growing up during this time.  I still remember songs like Self Destruction, F the Police, and Fight the Power.  So, to me, hip-hop has been a driving force in issues related to discrimination, police brutality and racism for many years.  If we look back to the 1990s, hip-hop artists discussed the problems plaguing America through music.  During this time, because hip-hop was still considered a fad, many people dismissed what they said because it did not paint a pretty picture.  But, when you listen to the lyrics that painted pictures about harsh realities, it is clear to see their anger.  That picture is not pretty and the delivery of these messages matched the messages being delivered.  Interestingly, or should I say sadly, the issues being discussed in the 1990s and 1960s are still relevant and very much unresolved today. 

Politicians are very, shall I say, political.  Lately, I have read a number of articles discussing the presidential election.  The BLM movement has reached the radar of many of the candidates.  I could get on a tangent about how some politicians do not care about certain issues until they believe that issue(s) is important to their campaign.  But, I won’t.  According to the articles I have read, many of the presidential candidates have invested huge amounts of time and resources learning about the BLM movement.  In my opinion, this is directly tied to the high profile deaths of unarmed Black men and women at the hands of law enforcement officers.  These politicians can sense that adequately addressing these issues will be very important to gaining the support of large factions of the Black community. However, I wonder why these issues have been overlooked for so long?  Are we just now learning that racial profiling and police brutality are pervasive, longstanding issues in this country?  I think not.  While on the election trail, a few candidates have made the mistake of saying “all lives matter.”  This was not received well, and I can certainly understand why.

BLM is a movement to bring awareness to the many issues plaguing Black folks.  It is not to say that all lives do not matter.  In fact, that is pretty obvious, but the rash of untimely deaths of Black folks in the country has gone relatively unnoticed.  So, a catchy and powerful mantra works nicely as a rallying cry.  It helps all those who are impacted or who care about the issues know how to find information about stories that are related to the movement on any number of social media platforms.  People who are yelling “all lives matter,” including Jeb Bush, are stating the obvious. 

The BLM Movement is about empowering and galvanizing support for issues impacting Black folks.  That does not in any way detract from other efforts or other groups of people.  However, this movement, much like any other targeted movement, is focused on a certain group of people and issues relating to them.  With the string of deaths of Black folks for many years, and the perceived or actual lack of justice, it is reasonable for people to ask themselves, “Do black lives matter?”  That, to me, is the crux of the movement.  I read a series of tweets from an activist who made a very nice parallel between BLM and other movements.  He said, and I am paraphrasing, you never hear people yelling that all forests matter when you see a slogan stating, “save the rainforests.”  One movement’s progress does not detract from another cause. 

I must say that it is very refreshing seeing a movement organized by Black folks for the benefit of Black folks.  During the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, there was a strong, collective movement to fight inequality.  At some point between then and now, it seems that some Black folks have lost the desire to ban together to fight against inequality and injustices.  It is almost as if some Black folks feel that we have arrived at the doorstep of racial equality.  Unfortunately, this kind of thinking is an illusion, and is just not steeped in any truth.  Systemic racism, racial profiling, police brutality, and a host of other issues impacting Black folks are still alive and well. 

This movement has the potential to reach many people because this generation has IPhones, cameras, social media and other methods of quickly disseminating information to mass audiences across the world. A tweet can go “viral” in a matter of seconds. In the 1960s, activists had to physically visit places and hope for news coverage in order to reach a wide audience.  Now, millions can see a simple tweet or Instagram video. This type of power and influence should not be taken lightly.  I hope the organizers of this movement continue to push forward and put pressure on politicians to do more than talk.  We need to overhaul the criminal justice system; we need to find methods to eliminate racial profiling, police brutality and other issues impacting Black folks. 

Peace