Introduction
The Black Lives Matter movement’s initially focused on ending state-sanctioned violence, police brutality, and injustices against African Americans. The movement grew to include related issues including getting African American achievements throughout history to be affirmed and recognized widely. The injustice that sparked the movement was the killing of an unarmed African American teenager in February, 2012. The victim, Trayvon Martin, was profiled by the shooter for wearing baggy clothing, even though Trayvon was just out to get some snacks. Two years later a similar incident occurred in Ferguson, Missouri. An unarmed Black teenager, Michael Brown, was shot and killed by a White police officer in Ferguson, and the officer responsible was not indicted for his actions. These two events spurred the Black Lives Matter movement, first by igniting a powerful social media hashtag and then becoming a significant social protest.
Responses to Racism
The shootings of Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown that spurred the Black Lives Matter movement was not the first time African Americans took on the …show more content…
One Washington Post infographic shows how many people have been shot and killed by police since 2015. The infographic is most concerned with shootings in which a police officer, in the line of duty, shoots and kills a civilian. These are the circumstances that most closely parallel the 2014 killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, that began the protest movement culminating in Black Lives Matter and an increased focus on police accountability nationwide (washingtonpost.com).The involvement of the Washington Post is another sign of movement in the directions of major U.S. social institutions using their power for good rather than supporting
The Black Lives Matter movement’s initially focused on ending state-sanctioned violence, police brutality, and injustices against African Americans. The movement grew to include related issues including getting African American achievements throughout history to be affirmed and recognized widely. The injustice that sparked the movement was the killing of an unarmed African American teenager in February, 2012. The victim, Trayvon Martin, was profiled by the shooter for wearing baggy clothing, even though Trayvon was just out to get some snacks. Two years later a similar incident occurred in Ferguson, Missouri. An unarmed Black teenager, Michael Brown, was shot and killed by a White police officer in Ferguson, and the officer responsible was not indicted for his actions. These two events spurred the Black Lives Matter movement, first by igniting a powerful social media hashtag and then becoming a significant social protest.
Responses to Racism
The shootings of Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown that spurred the Black Lives Matter movement was not the first time African Americans took on the …show more content…
One Washington Post infographic shows how many people have been shot and killed by police since 2015. The infographic is most concerned with shootings in which a police officer, in the line of duty, shoots and kills a civilian. These are the circumstances that most closely parallel the 2014 killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, that began the protest movement culminating in Black Lives Matter and an increased focus on police accountability nationwide (washingtonpost.com).The involvement of the Washington Post is another sign of movement in the directions of major U.S. social institutions using their power for good rather than supporting