Black Lives Matter

Black Lives Matters

The Black Lives Matters movement began in 2012. It was founded by three women called Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tomelti. It started when a seventeen-year-old boy was shot by a man called George Zimmerman. George Zimmerman was part of a neighbourhood watch. There was anger in the Black community and the slogan “Black Lives Matters” became popular.

 In 2020, when a Police Officer killed George Floyd, there was anger in the Black community around the world. People were angry and there were riots. There were protests in the United States of America, the United Kingdom and different places in the world.

A large number of government officials sided with the protests. Although the protest turned violent due to the police interference, it helped make the Black Lives Movement a national topic. The protests lasted for weeks and only stopped after the government addressed the issues being faced.

Black Lives Matters Movement in the United Kingdom

The Black Lives Matters movement came to the United Kingdom in 2015. In 2016, the first Black Lives Matters Protest happened. Protesters blocked the roads in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Nottingham. This protest was to bring people’s awareness of racism in the United Kingdom. It wasn’t very successful due to a lack of information.

After George Floyd’s death, three thousand protesters in Nottingham stood in solidarity with protesters in the United States of America. They used this chance to talk about the anti-Black racism in the United Kingdom. A lot of companies stood with the protesters and used their platform to talk about the protesters’ wants. 

These protests are important to the Black community. They helped to spread information about the issues the Black community faces. This is only possible because of the Black Lives Matters movement.a