Читать книгу Counseling Leaders and Advocates - Группа авторов - Страница 32

BLM (https://blacklivesmatter.com) was founded in July 2013 in response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman for the murder of Trayvon Martin (Black Lives Matter, n.d.). Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old Black teenage boy visiting family in the community, was killed on February 26, 2012, by 28-year-old George Zimmerman. Zimmerman, of White and Hispanic ancestry, was the neighborhood watch coordinator for his gated community. He racially profiled Martin, assumed he was there without reason, and called authorities to report Martin as suspicious. Zimmerman was armed, and he pursued and initiated a physical altercation with Martin despite repeatedly being advised by a dispatcher to cease his pursuit. Zimmerman fatally shot Martin and claimed self-defense. He was acquitted of second-degree murder in July 2013. The highly publicized and polarizing case functioned as a catalyst for organizers and activists fighting against anti-Black racist violence.

Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi founded the BLM movement and organization following Zimmerman’s acquittal. BLM gained national and international attention in the aftermath of two more deaths of Black men at the hands of police: Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Eric Garner in New York. In each case, the accuser was found not guilty of murder. The BLM website describes itself, in part, as “a global organization in the U.S., UK, and Canada, whose mission is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes” (Black Lives Matter, n.d.). Black Lives Matter is a decentralized network comprising 15 to 30 chapters within and beyond the United States. It has become an influential force in the fight against anti-Black racism in several contexts, including schools and government, while unapologetically affirming the humanity of all Black lives.