Black Lives Matter

[blak lahyvz mat-er]

noun

1. a political and social movement originating among African Americans, emphasizing basic human rights and racial equality for Black people and campaigning against various forms of racism. BLM, B.L.M.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Black Lives Matter¹

First recorded in 2013; the slogan that arose from the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter on social media after George Zimmerman was acquitted of murder in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed African American teenager

Example Sentences

Beyoncé’s 2016 Super Bowl halftime show was once such flash point, where she performed “Formation” featuring dancers in Black Panther-inspired outfits and paid tribute to the Black Lives Matter movement.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“I’ve been so deeply disappointed to see the footage from a half decade ago recycled,” Portland Mayor Keith Wilson said over the weekend, suggesting that the president has been viewing out-of-context video clips from 2020’s Black Lives Matter protests to justify military action.

Read more on Salon

But during a White House signing Thursday, the president and his top advisors repeatedly hinted at a much broader campaign of suppression against the American left, referencing as problematic both the simple printing of protest signs and the prominent racial justice movement Black Lives Matter.

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“Whether it be going back to the riots that started with Black Lives Matter and all the way through to the antifa riots, the attacks on ICE officers, the doxxing campaigns and now the political assassinations — these are not lone, isolated events,” said Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff.

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There is a jumble of more snapshots from Matić's life - Gaza and Black Lives Matter protests, sweaty clubbers, kissing couples, graffiti, parties.

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