Boycotts, Movements and Marches Events that initiated social change during the civil rights movement:
"The 1950s and '60s were the height of the civil rights movement and the continued struggle for social and racial justice for African Americans in the United States. The Civil War abolished slavery, but it did not end discrimination. African Americans, along with help from many white colleagues, mobilized and began an unprecedented journey for equality." For more information on "the major boycotts, movements and marches instrumental in bringing social change during the civil rights movement", including the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott, the 1961 Albany Movement, the 1963 Birmingham Campaign, the 1963 March on Washington, the 1965 Bloody Sunday, the 1965 Chicago Freedom Movement, the 1967 Vietnam War Opposition, and the 1968 Poor People's Campaign, please visit the following website: https://www.aarp.org/politics-society/history/info-2018/civil-rights-events-fd.html#quest1.
"Black Lives Matter, the movement, is a broad conceptual umbrella that refers to the important work of a wide range of Black liberation organizations, [each with their own distinct histories]. Sometimes referred to as “the Movement for Black Lives,” the achievements of the Black Lives Matter movement would not be possible had it not been for the collective efforts of groups such as Black Youth Project 100, the Dream Defenders, Assata’s Daughters, the St. Louis Action council, Millennial Activists United, and the Organization for Black Struggle, to name just a few.
Collectively, since 2013, these organizers have affected significant change locally and nationally. The broader cultural impact of BLM as a movement has been immeasurably expansive. BLM will forever be remembered as the movement responsible for popularizing what has now become an indispensable tool in 21st-century organizing efforts: the phenomenon that scholars refer to as “mediated mobilization.” By using the tools of social media, BLM was the first U.S. social movement in history to successfully use the internet as a mass mobilization device. The recent successes of movements, such as #MeToo, #NeverAgain, and #TimesUp, would be inconceivable had it not been for the groundwork that #BlackLivesMatter laid. As we reflect on [the] years of BLM, we would do well to consider the myriad ways that #blacklivesmatter has influenced our contemporary moment and given us a framework for imagining what democracy in action really looks like. Whether it be transforming how we talk about police violence or transforming how we talk about “abolitionism,” the BLM movement has succeeded in transforming how Americans talk about, think about, and organize for freedom."
#BlackLivesMatter was founded in 2013 by three female, Black organizers —
Patrisse Cullors, Opal Tometi & Alicia Garza — in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer. Black Lives Matter Foundation Inc. is a member-led, global organization with over 40 chapters in the US, UK, and Canada, whose mission is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes. It is an affirmation of Black folks’ humanity, their contributions to this society, and their resilience in the face of deadly oppression.
(left to right) Patrisse Cullors, Opal Tometi, Alicia Garza
As organizers who work with everyday people, BLM members see and understand significant gaps in movement spaces and leadership. Black liberation movements in this country have created room, space, and leadership mostly for Black heterosexual, cisgender men — leaving women, queer and transgender people, and others either out of the movement or in the background to move the work forward with little or no recognition. As a network, BLM recognizes the need to center the leadership of women and queer and trans people. To maximize the movement’s muscle, and to be intentional about not replicating harmful practices that excluded so many in past movements for liberation, BLM makes a commitment to placing those at the margins closer to the center.
Information adapted and taken from the Black Lives Matter website. For more information on the HERSTORY of the Black Lives Matter movement, please visit their website: https://blacklivesmatter.com/herstory/
It’s Not a Movement, It’s a Lifestyle.
How to Integrate the ‘Movement’ into Our Everyday Life
Learn about and practice being actively anti-racist within your niche— whether that means your major, your job, your sport, or your interests.
Ex: If I major in education and am planning to become a teacher— how can I ensure that I’m not perpetuating harmful biases or behavior in the classroom? What classes/info can I take or learn about right NOW to prepare me for that?
Ex: If I’m a business major: reflect— in what ways do some businesses discriminate, exclude, or perpetuate racism in the workplace? What are examples of businesses that have proven to be actively practicing anti-racist initiatives?
Ex: If I am an athlete, I can do a quick google search of the demographics within my sport. (look up: NCAA women's lacrosse race demographics)-- how might race play into the sports that we participate in? How can we get involved in our community or with organizations to promote our sport to less fortunate populations? Why does representation matter?
Integrate Black businesses into your daily/weekly shopping schedule
Set up recurring donations to anti-racist organizations
Plan anti-racist reading goals for the whole year
Join of start a book club to keep yourself and others accountable — through your school or just with friends
Sign up for daily emails on anti-racist info/initiatives
Follow more Black activists, artists, creators, writers, journalists, etc. on social media
Make a habit of watching your language / biases / thoughts regarding race and question yourself— why is that my automatic thought? Why was that my first reaction? How was i perhaps socialized to do/think/say these things?
“You’re not responsible for your first thought but you are responsible for your second”
Register to vote, self educate about candidates on all levels of government
Get involved with campaigns or organizations in your community that promote anti-racist initiatives or legislation