Initiating A Social Movement In The 1960's
Initiating a social movement is an organized technique that African Americans have employed in order to cope with and deal with differential and pejorative treatment on several occasions in American history. The civil rights movement in the 1960’s fought for equality for African Americans and whites alike and remains a force to this day for the civil rights for all US citizens regardless of race, religion gender or sexuality.
In more recent years, the outrage in response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman’s senseless murder of seventeen year old Treyvon Martin in 2013 spawned the Black Lives Matter movement founded by Patrisse Cullors, Opal Tometi, and Alicia Garza. The case involved racial prejudice and racial profiling resulting in
fatality. Compounded by the lack of justice for this young man’s wrongful death, this movement has initiated a cultural shift in society which advocates actively seeking social justice in the face of injustice. The frustration of minorities facing police brutality and deaths resulting from excessive force has resulted in public awareness and a need for change. As stated by Alicia Garza: “I would describe this moment for the movement as a real paradigm shift. It is an indicator of what is to come, but it also, I think, points to the agency that we have, collectively, to change our conditions. I think if we demonstrate a collective commitment and a collective practice to changing not just how police and policing happens in this country, but certainly to changing the conditions that black communities are living and existing in, then we have a real shot for living in a world that is more just, more equitable — in a world where black lives actually do matter” (NPR.org, 2016).
In more recent years, the outrage in response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman’s senseless murder of seventeen year old Treyvon Martin in 2013 spawned the Black Lives Matter movement founded by Patrisse Cullors, Opal Tometi, and Alicia Garza. The case involved racial prejudice and racial profiling resulting in
fatality. Compounded by the lack of justice for this young man’s wrongful death, this movement has initiated a cultural shift in society which advocates actively seeking social justice in the face of injustice. The frustration of minorities facing police brutality and deaths resulting from excessive force has resulted in public awareness and a need for change. As stated by Alicia Garza: “I would describe this moment for the movement as a real paradigm shift. It is an indicator of what is to come, but it also, I think, points to the agency that we have, collectively, to change our conditions. I think if we demonstrate a collective commitment and a collective practice to changing not just how police and policing happens in this country, but certainly to changing the conditions that black communities are living and existing in, then we have a real shot for living in a world that is more just, more equitable — in a world where black lives actually do matter” (NPR.org, 2016).