African Americans' Response to Police Brutality: the Black Lives

Mohamed Khider University of Biskra Faculty of Letters and Languages Department of Foreign Languages MASTER THESIS Letters and Foreign Languages English Language Literature and Civilization Submitted and Defended by: Imane CHEHABA African Americans’ Response to Police Brutality: The Black Lives Matter Strategy and Agenda Board of Examiners : Dr Salim KERBOUA PHD University of Biskra Superviser Mr Abdelnacer BENADELRREZAK MAB University of Biskra Examiner Mrs Asmaa CHRIET MAB University of Biskra Examiner Mrs Maymouna HADDAD MAB University of Biskra Chairperson Academic Year : 2018-2019 Dedication This thesis is dedicated to my siblings, Karim, Yacine and Doudi. To my grandparents, my uncle and my auntie who have always been a constant source of encouragement and support during the challenges of my whole college life. To my bestie Malak Rahmouni whom I am truly grateful for having in my life. This work is also dedicated to my mother. Mom, thank you for the unconditional love that you provide me with, thank you for every single sacrifice. I dedicate this work to my teachers and my friends. Thank you everyone i Acknowledgement This work would not have been possible without the efforts of each one of my teachers. I am especially indebted to my teacher and supervisor Dr.Salim Kerboua. From this platform, I would like to thank him for developing my interest in the topic and for providing me with beneficial sources and guidance. I am grateful to all of those with whom I have had the honor to work during this journey. I would like to thank all of my teachers for providing me with extensive academic guidance. I would especially like to thank Mr. Adel Boulgrone who taught me British Literature and Literary Criticism. As my teacher, he has taught me more than I could ever thank him. To all of those with whom I spent this five years journey, thank you for everything. ii Abstract With highly profiled incidents of police shootings of unarmed African Americans which the American criminal justice system deemed justifiable, came the response Black Lives Matter. The rise of this movement coincided with the second Obama presidency in 2014. This indicates that nuclear social injustices related to race are still existent in the American society. The Black Lives Matter is a social justice movement that protests police brutality of African American citizens. The present thesis aims at analyzing the efficiency of the movement’s strategies in reinforcing its agenda against the rampant police killings of black Americans. In particular, this thesis deals with three selected strategies: the use of social media, the horizontal approach of leadership, and the fusion of LGBTQ and anti-brutality activism. The present research relies on a critical data analysis of primary and secondary sources. Social media platforms are instrumental to the Black Lives Matter Movement in spreading its message. The horizontal approach to leadership provides equal space to the movement’s activists in decision making and developing effective action plans. The fusion of LGBTQ and ant-brutality makes the movement inclusive to all factions exposed to police violence. Based on these results, it is concluded that these strategies have been effective in reinforcing the movement’s agenda against police brutality. Key Words: African Americans, anti-brutality activism, Black Lives Matter Movement, horizontal approach to leadership, police brutality. iii ملخص يع حٕادث إطﻻق انُاس انباسصة انتً استكبٓا سجال انششطت فً حك أيشٌكٍٍٍ يٍ أصٕل افشٌمٍت عضل ٔ انتً اعتبشْا َظاو انعذانت انجُائٍت اﻷيشٌكً يبشسة, جاءث استجابت "حٍاة انسٕد يًٓت". حشكت "حٍاة انسٕد يًٓت" ًْ حشكت عذانت اجتًاعٍت تحتج عهى ٔ حشٍت انششطت انتً تستٓذف اﻷيشٌكٍٍٍ اﻷفاسلت. تٓذف ْزِ اﻷطشٔحت إنى تحهٍم كفاءة استشاتٍجٍاث ْزِ انحشكت فً تعضٌض أجُذتٓا ضذ عًهٍاث انمتم انتً ٌشتكبٓا سجال انششطت فً انًجتًع اﻷيشٌكً اﻷسٕد. عهى ٔجّ انخصٕص, تٓتى اﻷطشٔحت باستخذاو ٔسائم انتٕاصم اﻻجتًاعً, انًُٓج اﻷفمً نهمٍادة ٔ ديج انُشاط انًثهً يع انُشاط انًُاْض نهٕحشٍت. تعتًذ ْزِ انشسانت عهى تحهٍم بٍاَاث يأخٕرة يٍ يصادس أٔنٍت ٔ ثإٌَت. إٌ يُصاث انتٕاصم اﻻجتًاعً نٓا دٔس يٓى فً يساعذة حشكت "حٍاة انسٕد يًٓت" عهى َشش لضٍتٓا. ٌٕفش انًُٓج اﻷفمً نهمٍادة يساحت يتسأٌت نُشطاء انحشكت ﻻتخار انمشاساث ٔٔضع خطظ انعًم. ديج انُشاط انًثهً ٔ انُشاط انًُاْض نهٕحشٍت ٌجعم انحشكت شايهت نجًٍع انششائح انًعشضت نهعُف عهى أٌذي انششطت. بُاءا عهى ْذِ انُتائج, تى انتٕصم إنى أٌ ْزِ اﻻستشاتٍجٍاث فعانت فً تعضٌض أجُذة حشكت "حٍاة انسٕد يًٓت" ضذ ٔحشٍت انششطت. الكلمات المفتاحية: اﻷيشٌكٍٍٍ اﻷفاسلت, حٍاة انسٕد يًٓت, يُٓج انمٍادة اﻷفمً, انُشاط انًثهً, انُشاط انًُاْض نهٕحشٍت ٔ ٔحشٍت انششطت. iv List of Acronyms BLM Black Lives Matter BPP Black Panther Party CHP California Highway Patrol COINTELPRO Counter Intelligence Program FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation KKK Ku Klux Klan LGBTQ Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender and Queer USA The United States of America v TABLE OF CONTENTS Dedication ......................................................................................................................... i Acknowledgement ........................................................................................................... ii Abstract ........................................................................................................................... iii iv ............................................................................................................................... ملخص List of Acronyms .............................................................................................................. v Table of Contents ............................................................................................................ vi General Introduction ........................................................................................................01 Chapter One African Americans and Law Enforcement in The United States Historical Background 1.1. Introduction ...............................................................................................................07 1.2. The Social and Historical Roots of the Violence against Blacks in America ..........07 1.3. The development of the African American Urban Neighborhoods ..........................09 1.4. The Watts Riots of 1965 ...........................................................................................13 1.5. The Detroit Riots of 1976 .........................................................................................14 1.6. Anti-brutality Activism: The Black Panther Party and Policing the Police .............15 1.7. The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Agenda against the Black Panther Party .....17 1.8. The Rodney King Beating Ignites the Los Angeles Riots of 1992 ...........................19 1.9. Conclusion ................................................................................................................21 Chapter Two The Genesis of The Black Lives Matter Movement 2.1. Introduction ...............................................................................................................23 2.2. The Trayvon Martin Shooting: the Catalyst of BLM ...............................................23 2.3. The Creation of the Black Lives Matter Movement .................................................25 2.4. Black Lives Matter: from Social Media into the Streets ..........................................27 vi 2.5. The Black Lives Matter as a Global Network ..........................................................30 2.6. The Backlash against the Black Lives Matter Movement ........................................32 2.7. Conclusion ...............................................................................................................33 Chapter Three BLM Framework Selected Strategies to Reinforce the Movement’s Agenda 3.1. Introduction ...............................................................................................................36 3.2. The BLM’s Horizontal Approach to Leadership ......................................................36 3.3. BLM Use of Social Media ........................................................................................41 3.4. The BLM’s Fusion of Anti-Brutality Activism and LGBTQ Activism ...................44 3.5. Conclusion ................................................................................................................47 General Conclusion .........................................................................................................50 Works Cited .....................................................................................................................52 vii GENERAL INTRODUCTION The foundation of the American nation is placed upon the principles of democracy, freedom and liberty. Yet, African Americans’ history which is deeply rooted in the history of the nation reveals a reality that contradicts its founding principles. Over centuries, African Americans were intimidated and subjected to numerous inhumane practices by the whites. From slavery, black codes and institutional segregation to lynching and police brutality. Since the second half of the twentieth century, and more precisely since the 1940s, police brutality has been a major civil rights issue, one that has urged urban African American communities to march and to protest against it. As a response, governmental attempts to curb police brutality has included the ethnic diversification of police departments, sensitive training of officers, community policing, and assigning black officers to black neighborhoods. As the issue continues

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