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Black Lives Matter: The Influence Of The BLM Movement

Decent Essays

Black Lives Matter was originally nothing more than a simple hashtag on social media, started by Patrisse Cullors, Opal Tometi, and Alicia Garza, after the death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. After the deaths of Michael Brown and so many other African Americans at the hands of law enforcement, it gained a large following and became known as something more than a social media hashtag. It evolved and became something so much more. It became a beacon of hope and a symbol of optimism to so many in America. It served as a catalyst in the new era of African American history.
The BLM movement expanded far beyond social media, appearing on Law & Order: SVU and gaining many varied adaptions of the movement. One campaign asked could they use BLM in their campaign and were …show more content…

This is false; #BlackLivesMatter does not mean your life is not of importance. It means that black lives, which are often seen as disposable, are important—they do matter. Blacks are systematically discriminated against. They face constant oppression as well. Blacks are just trying to get on equal footing with the rest of America. No one is asking for handouts, but they are asking for acceptance and peace. In class, we briefly discussed Macklemore’s song “White Privilege II,” which gave an excellent explanation on what exactly the BLM movement is for. The explanation reads, “"Black Lives Matter, to use an analogy, is like if... if there was a subdivision and a house was on fire. The fire department wouldn't show up and start putting water on all the houses because all houses matter. They would show up and they would turn their water on the house that was burning because that's the house that needs the help the most.” Blacks just want the same rights everyone else has. This can be achieved through solidarity and blacks coming together to raise an awareness for the issue, which is why the BLM movement is so

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