Black Lives Matter Movement Essay

Social movements are characterized by collective efforts where groups of people exhibit a shared objective through peaceful or violent methodologies. Despite the methods used to advocate for a social cause, peaceful and violent techniques are both forms of awareness and can serve as catalysts for greater instances of change. Social movements can begin as local demonstrations and develop into global phenomena. Common social movements include issues that focus on racial inequalities, women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and environmental-based movements. Regardless of the type of goals that people may harbor in their advocacy, most social movements are focused on inciting governmental reform through their mobilization of the law.

The Black Lives

The Black Lives Matter movement was born upon the murder of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin; a Black teenager who was murdered while walking home from a convenience store. The movement soon became a haven for African Americans to resort to with each life lost from police brutality. This social movement does an exceptional job of expressing the severity of police brutality while simultaneously empowering Black communities amidst tragedy.

The Black Lives Matter movement is largely embedded in reform as it “seeks to change something specific about the social structure”. While there are revolutionary and resistant aspects associated with the social movement, it is mainly aiming for reform in unequal policing, selective enforcement, and systematic discrimination. Unlike the civil rights movement – which revolutionized society with a legal transformation of slavery along with a cultural transformation of music, art, and fashion, the Black Lives Matter movement is rooted in policy reform when it concerns the improvement of African American treatment in a system that is supposed to ensure “liberty and justice for all”. By focusing on

For instance, during the murder of George Floyd on May 25th, 2020, people were educated through social media posts that spread awareness on the matter, emphasized the systemic problems of policing, and highlighted ways in which people could get involved in the movement. Generally, I responded well to the social media technique that the movement encouraged because of its inclusivity for people of all ages. During the onset of the Black Lives Matter movement, I was a teenager and felt as if my contributions toward the cause were limited. However, being able to spread awareness on social media platforms, like Instagram, made me feel as if I was joining the movement and acting as a vital aspect of educating people on the significance of the social movement. I noticed that many people my age were taking a stand on police brutality that was occurring in the country and using social media as an instrument for their advocacy. On the other hand, I did not respond well to the protests that ensued from the movement; mainly because it was difficult to make a physical effort to rally with other groups and demand change. There was a point where I felt helpless because I was unable to join protests due to the fact that I was young and lived a considerable distance from the heart of most protests; making my