BLACK LIVES
MATTER
In Focus
"See more clearly when you are informed"
The Black Lives Matter movement swept across the United States in the summer of 2020 and it has remained a central part of America’s conversation on race. However, with so much contention and vitriol swirling around the topic it can be hard to get a handle on just what exactly Black Lives Matter means. Below you will find key terms, statistics, and other useful tools to understand and talk about Black Lives Matter. If you would like to know more, consider coming to an IYC event. Our next one can be found below in the section labeled Our Events. We host them virtually, on a wide range of topics, discussing policy, civics, and current events.
Key Terms You Should Know
Black Lives Matter (BLM):
A movement advocating against violence inflicted on those from Black communities by those with power.
Cultural Appropriation:
The adoption of customs, practices, or ideas from one cultural group typically by a more dominant societal group.
Racism: Individual / Structural / Institutional:
Individual racism involves personal prejudice; structural racism involves system-wide exclusion, oppression, or inequality; institutional racism involves individuals who carry out these practices & policies. This leads to racial/ethnic profiling that results in 'The Talk' that Black families may have w/ their children.
BIPOC:
An acronym for those who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.
Antiracism:
Proactively (ideally preventatively) identifying racism and racist actions to enable and establish equity and to equitably share power amongst racial groups.
Moments In History
1870 - 15th Amendment gives African American men the right to vote. Local & state laws still worked against these rights.
1954 - Brown vs. Board of Ed mandates schools desegregate. 10 years later, the Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination in businesses.
2020 - BLM protests occur worldwide sparked by George Floyd's death, though the movement began in 2013 after the shooting death of Trayvon Martin.
1921 - Tulsa Race Massacre occurs; also known as the Black Wall Street Massacre.
1968 - Martin Luther King Jr. marches with the Black sanitation workers on strike in Memphis, Tennessee.
Statistics
As reported by The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, 93%
of racial justice protests have been peaceful in the US.
According to the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism, 300
new police reform bills that states collectively approved after George Floyd's death.
According to the Crowd Sourcing Consortium, there were 140
protests a day between 5/26 and 6/7, 2020.
74% of US adults acknowledge "systemic policing issues," as reported by Oakton College.
150,000
enslaved people in Texas were the last to find out they were freed by the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation when it was enforced on June 19, 1865, aka Juneteenth represented by fists w/ broken chains.
Values
Civil Rights
Community
Excellence
Justice
Unapologetically Black
Notable Names
Rosa Parks
John Legend
Patrisse Cullors
Colin Kaepernick
Malcolm X
Symbols
Our Events
Past
Future
Further Resources
Black Lives Matter Infographic
Share what you have learned about Black Lives Matter. Our Infographic has been designed to be shared easily by printing, emailing, or posting on social media. Click on the image to view or download the PDF File. (Not for commercial use.)
Celebrate & Create Event Video
Our crafting event for kids was lots of fun! Use your own materials to participate in our craft project. Watch the video to learn how to make your own bookmark! You can also make an event out of it by hosting your own Celebrate & Create: Black Lives Matter crafting party. Feel free to share this video with others! (Not for commercial use.)
Take Action
Acknowledge the importance of Juneteenth with others in some way, even if you are not BIPOC and with awareness of intersectionality.
Say Their Names! Trayvon Martin, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Eric Garner, Sandra Bland, and more.
Commit to one weekly action that allows you to better understand the Black Lives Matter movement!
Research Black History and the origins of the Black Lives Matter movement started by Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi.
Share our Black Lives Matter Infographic with friends, family, and anyone and everyone you think would appreciate becoming more informed!