Black Lives Matter: Awareness And Action Against Racism

Throughout history, racism has been a very big issue. As time went on racism was decreased and we got rid of organized discrimination and slavery. Most people would argue that racism still exists, but recently it has gained recognition as a major problem to be discussed. It seems like every person has an opinion or ideas about how racism needs to be dealt with. The movement of Black Lives Matter was created in response to the shootings of Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown. The purpose of this movement is to bring awareness and action against the discrimination against black people in the criminal justice system. As time has gone on the movement has grown to other areas of prejudice and racism. The definition provided by the Black Lives Matter website says, “When we say Black Lives Matter, we are broadening the conversation around state violence to include all of the ways in which Black people are intentionally left powerless at the hands of the state. We are talking about the ways in which Black lives are deprived of our basic human rights and dignity.” (About Black Lives Matter, 2015).

Some groups have been violent, and others have been peaceful. Some groups have been very against police and other law enforcement. The main and official groups of people in the black lives matter movement tend to be mostly interested in understanding and true justice. One of the belief statements of the movement is, “We are committed to collectively, lovingly and courageously working vigorously for freedom and justice for Black people and, by extension all people. As we forge our path, we intentionally build and nurture a beloved community that is bonded together through a beautiful struggle that is restorative, not depleting.”