New Fight for Equality Gains Momentum

The Black Lives Matter movement’s appeal to human rights has deep roots in the history of the black freedom struggle. Kareem Jackson, a St. Louis hip-hop artist known as Tef Poe, explained that the civil rights movement did not fully address the racialized degradation black people endure, particularly at the hands of the police.

The Emergence of Black Lives Matter

Protests erupted following the deaths of Michael Brown and other casualties of police brutality, leading to a multiracial, multigenerational movement asserting black humanity in response to racist police killings and vigilante violence. This upsurge in anti-racist organizing represents a departure from previous black activism in the United States, which often traced its lineage to the “golden age” of the 1960s. While there is nostalgia associated with these comparisons, core activists of the Black Lives Matter movement emphasize that this current wave of protest is distinct.

Tactical and Technological Differences

The movement’s use of technology, particularly social media, to mobilize people is significantly different from the methods used during the 1960s. For example, Jo Ann Robinson of the Women’s Political Council spent hours using a hand-driven mimeograph machine to distribute leaflets announcing a mass protest after Rosa Parks’s arrest in 1955. Today, social media platforms like Twitter allow activists to reach individuals across the nation and world in milliseconds, drastically reducing the time needed to organize protests. Core activists like Johnetta Elzie and DeRay Mckesson can frame events and direct actions across the nation. Social media also serves as a documentary tool, capturing protests and police responses in real time.

Documenting Police Violence

Images of police violence are helping put pressure on municipal police departments to address these issues. Unlike past images of brutality, videos from handheld phones and surveillance cameras now document police violence as it happens. These videos have shown incidents such as Marlene Pinnock being beaten by a California highway patrol officer, the shooting of John Crawford at a Walmart in Ohio, the chokehold death of Eric Garner in Staten Island, the shooting of Tamir Rice in Cleveland, and the condition of Freddie Gray in Baltimore.

A Shift in Leadership and Strategy

Black Lives Matter activists are consciously avoiding mistakes from the past by rejecting the charismatic leadership model that has dominated black politics for decades. This model, associated with leaders like Martin Luther King Jr., Jesse Jackson, and Al Sharpton, carries risks of co-option, self-interest, government repression, or even assassination. Instead, the movement emphasizes a group-centered model of leadership rooted in participatory democracy, inspired by the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC).

Focus on Black Humanity

Unlike previous movements, Black Lives Matter’s focus on policing in black and brown communities and dismantling mass incarceration is articulated as a broader claim for “black humanity.” Activists use this claim to express communal anger against police brutality and to mobilize those who aren’t acting. This appeal to humanity has deep roots in the history of the black freedom struggle, echoing earlier campaigns against slavery, lynching, and the Memphis sanitation workers’ strike.

Internationalizing the Struggle

The Black Lives Matter movement is framing racial discrimination in human rights terms, building on the efforts of earlier activists like Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr., who sought to internationalize the issue of racial inequality in the United States. Parents of victims like Trayvon Martin and Mike Brown have raised concerns with the United Nations, leading to recommendations for strengthening legislation to combat racial discrimination and addressing police use of force.