George Zimmerman was acquitted of the killing of Trayvon Martin on July 13, 2013. It was then that Black Lives Matter first became a hashtag—which lead to the creation of a network co-founded by Alicia Garza, Patrisse Khan-Cullors and Opal Tometi that since has expanded into a global movement dedicated to the liberation of all black people. Four years after its inception, the network is examining its progress and looking toward the future.
In a new report first shared with Mic on Thursday, the BLM network, which consists of more than 40 local chapters in the United States, Canada and the U.K., takes stock of its work at the grassroots level. The report’s release comes as, in recent weeks, questions have been raised about the movement’s strength and visibility in an increasingly tumultuous national political climate.
For the entirety of their four years of existence, naysayers outside of the BLM movement have critiqued its structure and focus. But the group’s purpose goes well beyond blocking traffic and protesting police brutality. This report clearly lays out the network’s guiding principles, reasons for organizing, victories and interventions and intentions for expanding its scope. Among some of its important victories: raising over $500,000 to bail black mothers out of jail for Mother’s Day, police precinct occupations, trips to Standing Rock in North Dakota to support Indigenous activists.
It’s clear that while the movement may sometimes be messy (as all social movements are) and that its stakeholders may not always be in agreement, they are about direct action and making strides toward social change.
For example, the success of the New York City chapter’s Swipe It Forward campaign, which calls attention to the criminalization of poverty through fare-beating arrests on the subway system, came together through partnership with other Movement for Black Lives groups that shared the chapter’s vision. Organizers are not always in agreement, but the mission of saving black lives is as critical as it’s ever been, Shanelle Matthews, the director of communications for the BLM network, said in a statement.
As Black Lives Matter moves from its infancy to maturity, it will have to shift to meet the current moment. This political climate is unlike any other we’ve seen in recent decades. UnderDonald Trump racial injustice is poised to get worse and black people are under attack in every way by conservatives and Trump sycophants for vocally asserting their right to live in a world free of white supremacy. It is critically important for the movement to do what it’s doing and continue to take stock of its purpose, where it has been and where it’s going. As people are energized more to mobilize locally to resist this administration, Black Lives Matter is an important player in helping people to build power, organize and work for change.
Click here to read the report.