Black Lives Matter

American  

[blak lahyvz mat-er] / ˈblæk ˈlaɪvz ˈmæt ər /

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.

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Etymology

Origin of Black Lives Matter

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

See Examples For:

Black Lives Matter

Owens was criticizing the Black Lives Matter movement and highlighting the efforts of her organization, the Blexit Foundation.

From Salon ● Aug. 26, 2026

He founded the Black Clergy Collaborative in 2020, at the height of the Black Lives Matter movement.

From Barron's ● Aug. 8, 2026

A giant inflatable UFC Freedom 250 boxing glove that looks vaguely like the Black Lives Matter fist.

From Slate ● Jun. 16, 2026

The dismissal played out before a half-full courtroom, with Mitchell’s mother flanked by organizers from Black Lives Matter L.A. and other police accountability activists.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 16, 2026

“Is it Black Lives Matter doing the protest?”

From "A Good Kind of Trouble" by Lisa Moore Ramée