Black Activist Movement: A Global Fight for Equality - Essay Sample

Introduction

The black activist movement was founded as an international activist movement meant to fight for the rights of black people who were being oppressed all over the world, but particularly in the United States. The movement was created essentially by the African American community to protest against massive systemic racism and violence that had taken root in the USA, more so towards the black people (Keeanga, 2019).

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Today, the movement takes part in protests regularly that aimed at stopping the police from brutally and unlawfully killing black people. It also aims at condemning boarder problems such as police brutality, profiling, and racial inequality in the United States Criminal Justice System. This paper, therefore, seeks to elucidate on reasons why the black lives matter movement took root in the United States and more especially all over the world.

First and foremost, the movement began on social media with the use of the hashtag #black lives matter after George Zimmerman had been acquitted for shooting and killing an African American teenager; Trayvon Martin in early 2012. The movement later gained popularity in the United States following several other killings including the shooting of Michael Brown and Eric Garner in Ferguson and New York respectively in 2014. Since then, the movement has continued to show its commitment in the fight against police brutality against black people (Keeanga, 2019).

In summer 2015, the movement was partly involved in the presidential elections, a move that hugely solidified their existence and increased their popularity. It was at this time that the creators of the hashtag movement called upon significant in support from Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza and Opal Tometi and successfully expanded their project to further include over 30 new chapters. Nonetheless, the Black Lives matter movement with a decentralized network and contains no formal hierarchy.

Over the years, the black lives movement has been able to take root in the USA and across the world because of its focus on main key principles that have helped guide both the movement and the people willing to be part of the movement. Among the key principles outlined in the movement's website include; empathy, globalism, restorative justice, Inter-generational, and diversity. Together, these principles have helped shape the movement and solidified its existence (Keeanga, 2019).

Use of Strategies and Tactics

Social Media and the Internet

The black lives movement has successfully been able to solidify itself by the use of different strategies and tactics especially in marketing themselves and publicizing themselves. For instance, with the advancement in technology today, the BLM movement has hugely embraced social media in making themselves known to the public. For instance, it has hugely invested in the internet creating its website where people who wish to join the movement can sign up or register, additionally, the website provides immense information on the main goals objectives and structure of the movement.

By making it a public platform, it has given people the power to offer their suggestions and criticism thus helping it improve where it needs to. Additionally, other social media platforms such as twitter and facebook have been actively involved in publicizing of the movement. For instance, as of the year 2016, the word black lives, the matter had been twitted close to over 30 million times, while Black twitter was recognized for bringing multiple recognition to the BLM movement. This strategy has proved to be quite effective as many people are now using social media whether to communicate learn to socialize market or purchase items. As such, embracing the diversity of tactics has hugely helped the movement to be accepted globally.

Direct Action

Another condition which largely influenced the adoption of the BLM and that helped it gain root was the ability to take direct action. The movement for a long time engaged in situations and protests which involved direct action. This move largely made people uncomfortable and forced them to take action and address the issue at hand. This way, the BLM was known to build power and influence through rallies and protests. Besides this, the movement on several occasion employed severe tactics to have their issues addressed. For instance, in 2015 it was able to fake multiple die-ins during the twin cities marathon. This way, the movement gradually gained root and was embraced by several nations.

Fight for $15

Fight for $15 is an American movement that was formed in 2012 to help advocate for an increase in the minimum wage in the United States from $7.5 to $15 per hour. As of 2009, the minimum wage for workers was at $7.5 and has not been increased since then. To better raise their concerns, the movement has incorporated protests from other groups such as home health care, the airports, gas station, and child care, to help solidify they cry to have the minimum wage increased (Manborde, 2018). This was in response to most workers protests that the minimum wage was not helping them to meet the basic need such as food and proper housing.

Being more popular among the democratic supporters, the $15 proposal was added on the Democrat's party's platform, a move that led to its adoption in several cities where the cost of living is considered much higher such as New York and California, only with a few exceptions. Other states such as new jersey, Illinois and Massachusetts have gradually also passed several laws that allow for the gradual increase of the minimum age to $15. Additionally, as of 2019, the raise the wage act has been advocated for over one hundred and eighty members of the House of Representatives in addition to over 30 senators (Manborde, 2018).

Despite this, the movement has not been without its criticizers. This way most of the arguments for the movement tend to be similar to those for and against the minimum wage. Generally, people against the increase of the minimum wage argue that if and once implemented, the increase of the minimum wage would lead to reduced working wages among the workers thus nullifying the increased rate, higher consumer prices, and increased unemployment. On the other hand, the proponents argue that an increase in the minimum wage will generally result in better living conditions as well as promote a more equitable distribution of resources.

Economists, on the other hand, have argued that increasing the minimum wage to $15 will not cause or induce unemployment among the low wage workers. Both 2017 and 2018, the unemployment law hit record low levels with no significant changes the high-wage, low-wage patterns across states.

Conclusion

In conclusion, therefore, as seen in the essay, several factors have contributed to the Black Lives Matter movement to take root within the united states and all over the world in General. Among them include the use of social media and direct action. Additionally, the Fight for $15 movement has continued to take root as more and more people continue to protest for increased minimum wages to cater to their most basic needs. By the end of 2020, it is expected that most states will have adjusted their minimum wages.

References

Keeanga-Yamahtta, T., (2019). From Black Lives Matter to Black Liberation. Haymarket Books. Chicago; Illinois

Manborde, I. (2018). On New Terrain: How Capital is Reshaping the Battleground of Class War, by Kim Moody. Haymarket Books, Chicago, IL, 2017, 304 pp., ISBN: 9781608468461, $18.00, paperback. British Journal of Industrial Relations, 56(3), 679-681.