#TrayvonMartin

Black Lives Matter at Eight Years…and Counting

When #TrayvonMartin’s murderer, George Zimmerman, was acquitted on July 13, 2013, the world erupted and our co-founder Alicia Garza penned a love letter to Black people, closing with the words “Black Lives Matter.” The words, amplified by Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi, became a rallying cry for those with the vision and will to end state-sanctioned violence against Black people and build a world of freedom and justice.

Black Lives Matter at 7 Years and the Meaning of this Movement-Moment

“We are the diviners of change!” proclaims Janaya “Future” Khan. Three thousand people … significantly young and Black … fill the massive concrete steps at Los Angeles City Hall, pouring out onto the sidewalk, into the street, extending the length of the block and into Grand Park. The hotter-than-July sun shines on the faces of Youth Vanguard members who just finished speaking about their recent victory in LAUSD – ousting police from school campuses and cutting their budget by 35%.