Black Lives Matter is a movement and organization of primarily Black people with the goal of advancing the collective liberation of Black people.
#BlackLivesMatter was founded in 2012 after Black teen Trayvon Martin was shot and killed in Florida by George Zimmerman – a volunteer with a private security guard. The latter was acquitted, while Trayvon Martin was posthumously held responsible for his murder. Black Lives Matter is a call to take responsibility and mobilize against racist violence against Black people. This goes far beyond a fight against racist police violence:
“#BlackLivesMatter is working for a world where Black lives are no longer systematically and intentionally targeted for demise. We affirm our contributions to this society, our humanity, and our resilience in the face of deadly oppression. We have put our sweat equity and love for Black people into creating a political project-taking the hashtag off of social media and into the streets. The call for Black lives to matter is a rallying cry for ALL Black lives striving for liberation.” Description on the website of Black Lives Matter