: A Short History of a Long Movement

Demonstrators in Ferguson, Missouri 2014

What does “Black Lives Matter” mean to you? What do you think and feel when you hear it? The ideas behind this controversial phrase and social movement are not as new as you may think.

Some feel a connection to this phrase while others feel angry or alienated. This display explores the origins of “Black Lives Matter” and the corresponding movement.

The declaration “Black Lives Matter” is an assertion of basic civil and human rights and a call for the end of racism and oppression. It suggests that Black lives continue to be devalued and considered inferior to the lives of others.

The Black Lives Matter Movement is a response to ongoing dehumanization. It is currently a decentralized broad-based collective of local organizers working for freedom and justice for all Black people regardless of sex, gender, disability, class, nationality, religion, or any other social status.

Their goal is to empower people to challenge anti-Blackness and disrupt, through non-violent action, a pattern of state sanctioned violence and racism against Black people and systemic inequality in Black communities around the world.

But why do people feel this way? When and why did this start?

The ideas behind “Black Lives Matter” and Black resilience, resistance, and persistence is as old as our colonial history.

Enslaved people in the Americas were treated as chattel – that is, property - without the rights of human beings. Enslaved status became race based and largely permanent unless an owner decided otherwise.

The brutality and inhumanity of slavery led to abolitionist movements around the world and an effort to get people to see the enslaved as fellow brothers and sisters in A former slave, Gordon, humanity. Such efforts led to the following declarations: displaying scars from whip marks. Circa 1863 1

“Am I Not a Man and a Brother?”: London, 1787

Led by Quakers, the Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade met in London to discuss strategy for convincing the public that the lives of the Black enslaved mattered as much as everyone else’s. To emphasize the humanity of the enslaved and the injustice of the slave trade, they approved the slogan “Am I Not a Man and a Brother?” along with a design for an emblem and seal.

“Am I Not a Woman and a Sister?”: Ohio, 1830

By the 1800’s, British abolitionists began to include women in the slogan. It was picked up by the abolitionist newspaper Genius of Universal Emancipation that published a design of a Black woman in chains.

Wasn’t equal opportunity and full citizenship achieved when slavery ended?

In 1865, 35 years after the “Am I Not a Woman” appeal, the 13th amendment abolished slavery in the U.S. (except as a punishment for crime). While no longer considered property, still weren’t granted the full rights of freedom, equality, and personhood – it was as if their lives didn’t matter.

The “punishment for crime” exception in the 13th amendment was exploited. Shortly after emancipation, the criminal justice system was used as a means for continued enslavement and brutal social control of African Americans.

For example, Black Codes legally restricted the lives and movements of Black people, including employment. Convict leasing was used to re-enslave; African Americans, arrested with or without cause, were leased out by prison systems to work without pay on plantations and elsewhere, especially in the South.

To justify this, Black men were portrayed as inherently dangerous and criminal in media and rhetoric. It became a powerful and enduring image in the American imagination that persists to this day.

In addition, the 50-year period after Reconstruction brought a particularly harsh reign of terror down upon Black people and communities. White citizens could threaten, attack, kill, or destroy Black people and their entire communities without fear of prosecution. Sometimes these acts were facilitated by law enforcement.

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Flag flown by the NAACP in NYC between 1920-1938

Examples include the 1898 Wilmington, NC Massacre, Red Summer of 1919, 1921 Tulsa, OK Massacre, 1923 Rosewood, FL Massacre, and the 1961 Freedom Rider attacks.

Lynchings (the extrajudicial group murder of someone accused of an offense) were also common. You could be lynched for harmless actions like trying to vote or looking at someone the wrong way. It’s estimated that in 1892, over 150 Black people were lynched. That’s one Black person every 2-3 days. The last recorded U.S. lynching was James Byrd in 1998.

Further, African Americans were disproportionately victimized by police who were often allowed to rob, assault, torture, rape, and murder with impunity as they enforced white supremacy through fear and intimidation (e.g.: Bloody Sunday in Selma 1965).

Also common were unconstitutional stops and searches, general harassment, “I am in Birmingham Because injustice is here…. discrimination in jury selection and sentencing, and inhuman prison conditions. Its ugly record of police brutality is known in every This physical danger was added to the daily frustration and degradation of section of the country. Its segregation laws, poor work conditions, and discrimination in schooling, hiring, unjust treatment of housing, voting and all other areas of society. Negros in the courts is a notorious reality. There have been more Didn’t the 1964 Civil Rights Act solve these problems? unsolved bombings of Negro homes and churches in Birmingham than in While King and others fought legalized segregation in the South, African any city in this nation.”

Americans in northern and western states were experiencing discrimination and Martin Luther King, Jr. second-class citizenship that wasn’t necessarily codified into law. Letter from Birmingham Jail (1963)

A movement for self-determination and empowerment emerged in the West to fight the sense of powerlessness that can occur when your country engages in a life-long assault on your rights and human dignity - as if your life doesn’t matter. These efforts led to the following declaration:

“Black Power”: Oakland, CA 1966

Founded by Huey Newton and Bobby Seale, the Black Panther Party for Self Defense (BPP) was initially established to monitor police abuse in Black communities. They formed patrols to protect residents from the routine violation of their rights, including police brutality. Although they legally carried weapons, they didn’t advocate for violence as an offensive strategy. By 1969, the BPP also developed survive and thrive programs -

3 they provided free breakfasts for children, established free medical clinics, helped the homeless find housing, and gave away free clothing and food.

While the Black community fought to empower themselves in the North and West, those in the South were having to do the same, despite legal wins against segregation. Many southern communities continued to segregate in violation of the law, and systemic discrimination in employment, schooling, law enforcement, and so on continued unabated.

While African Americans chanted “Black Power” in Oakland, , and New York, Black men in Tennessee declared the following while insisting their humanity be recognized:

“I AM A MAN”: February 12, 1968

After a long history of overly long hours, low pay, and dangerous work conditions, the predominantly Black Memphis sanitation workers went on strike after two of their men were killed on the job by malfunctioning equipment that took the lives of others four years prior.

The strike attracted the attention of national civil rights leaders including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rev. James Lawson who declared "at the heart of racism is the idea that a man is not a man, that a person is not a person. You are human beings. You are men. You deserve dignity." Signs carried by strikers reading “I

Am A Man” became a symbol of the fight for human dignity. Memphis Sanitation Worker Strike March 29, 1968

It’s now the 21st century – these historical problems have been solved, right?

Unfortunately, the history, oppression, and ideas underlying the phrase “I AM A MAN” still exist today. In addition to the historical impact of hundreds of years of dehumanization and discrimination, African Americans are still fighting for the fulfillment of basic rights.

With cameras now ubiquitous, negative reactions to African Americans engaging in daily living have been recorded and shared publicly. Ranging from insulting (police called on an eight-year-old for selling bottled water) to life threatening (an officer aiming his gun at a man who was using a plastic tool to pick up trash in his own yard), these incidents have once again led to rising frustrations that Black lives are given little consideration.

Along with differential treatment in housing, employment, schooling, and daily life, there is extensive data and evidence showing the persistence of discrimination in the criminal justice system that disproportionately affects Black communities. A series of questionable deaths for which no one was held accountable inflamed tension and stoked activism. ’s story was the spark.

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February 26, 2012

George Zimmerman, a member of the neighborhood watch in Sanford, FL, sees 17- year-old Trayvon Martin walking down the street as Martin returns from the store. Believing he looks suspicious, Zimmerman calls Sanford police and begins to follow Martin, against the direction of the dispatcher. There is an altercation and Zimmerman shoots and kills Martin who is unarmed.

Mounting pressure and criticism of the handling of the case eventually led to an investigation. Over a month after the incident, on April 11, 2012, Zimmerman was formally charged with second-degree murder for the death of Trayvon Martin.

Based on an argument of self-defense, on July 13, 2013 a six-person jury found George Zimmerman not guilty in the killing of Trayvon Martin, leading people to declare:

“Black Lives Matter”: July 13, 2013

In response to the not-guilty verdict, begins a series of social media posts. In her final message she states: “black people. I love you. I love us. Our lives matter.”

Patrisse Cullors, a friend of Garza continues on social media, posting: “…#blacklivesmatter is a movement attempting to visiblize what it means to be black in this country. Provide hope and inspiration for collective action to build collective power to achieve collective transformation. rooted in grief and rage but L to R: Patrisse Khan Cullors, Alicia Garza, pointed towards vision and dreams.”

Although UCLA professor Marcus Hunter first coined the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter in August 2012, Garza and Cullors’ Facebook messages launched what would eventually grow into the Black Lives Matter Movement.

In the months that followed, protests erupted all over the country. Protestors in Minneapolis, Minnesota were reported carrying signs that said, “Black Lives Matter” as well as “End Racism Now.”

Deaths of African Americans at the hands of police officers started to gain more public attention. Unarmed Black men during this period were about three times more likely than other men to be killed by law enforcement. A short list of some of the most publicized incidents is presented here.

These cases are controversial and interpreted differently based on one’s perspective. Whether these are justifiable homicides or not is a matter of debate. Patterns of racial disparity in policing and perceptions of threat are well documented. It’s also true that police have a dangerous and difficult job and don’t want to kill people. 5

Keep in mind that a person can be Pro-Officer and also declare “Black Lives Matter!” Concerns are less about police as individuals and more about systems of policing. The following tragedies are flashpoints for the movement because lives continue to be taken under ambiguous circumstances and little accountability, within the context of centuries of racial inequality. BLM advocates feel this inequity in policing would have been eliminated by now if our nation believed these lives mattered.

July 17, 2014

Forty-three-year-old Eric Garner is approached by the NYPD for illegally selling single cigarettes out of a cigarette pack. After continuing to argue with them, Garner is placed in a chokehold by Officer Daniel Pantaleo. Cited as a “dangerous maneuver,” the chokehold was officially banned by the NYPD in 1993. Caught on video, Garner repeats “I can’t breathe” even after released from the chokehold, until he loses consciousness and dies. Garner’s death was classified as a homicide, but no criminal charges were filed.

August 9, 2014

Eighteen-year-old Michael Brown and another man were walking in the middle of the street in Ferguson, Missouri.

Officer Darren Wilson sees them and suspects they were involved in a theft at a nearby store. He tells them to walk on the sidewalk and parks his patrol car at an angle to block the two men from walking any further. Officer Wilson opens the car door and it makes contact with Brown. There is a scuffle resulting in Officer Wilson drawing his gun while still in his patrol car. While there are conflicting witness accounts, evidence suggests that Brown had his hand on the gun and there was a struggle. At least one shot is fired from inside the car. Brown runs from the car with Officer Wilson running after him. Brown then stops, turns toward Officer Wilson, and begins to move toward him. Varying witness accounts do not make clear what Brown was doing with his hands while moving toward the officer when he was shot and killed. Brown is shot at least six times and his body stays in the street for four hours in the August heat.

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On November 24th, a announced that it would not indict Officer Wilson in the shooting of Brown. The unrest in Ferguson reached a breaking point and an uprising ensued. Missouri Governor Jay Nixon deployed the National Guard the next day which brought the Ferguson protests to a temporary end. As investigations into the Ferguson police department continued, protests erupted around the nation.

The Department of Justice released its report into the investigation after the death of Brown. It stated, “This investigation has revealed a pattern or practice of unlawful conduct within the Ferguson Police Department that violates the First, Fourth, and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution, and federal statutory law.”

November 20, 2014

Twenty-eight-year-old Akai Gurley is mistakenly shot and killed by NYPD officer Peter Liang who is startled as Gurley and his girlfriend walk down a darkened stairwell of a Brooklyn housing project. Neither Liang nor his partner take life-saving measures to save Gurley who died waiting for paramedics.

Though Liang pleaded guilty to manslaughter, his sentence was reduced to five years of probation and community service.

November 22, 2014

Twelve-year-old Tamir Rice is killed outside of a Recreation Center in Cleveland, Ohio. Rice is playing in the park with a black Airsoft pellet gun without the orange safety indicator usually found on the barrel.

A 911 caller reports Rice’s activities but expresses uncertainty to the dispatcher about whether the gun is real.

Two Cleveland police officers respond to the call but are not informed that the gun might be a fake.

Security camera footage showed a police cruiser race into the frame and stop. Within two seconds, one of the officers opened the passenger door and fired two shots at Rice, who was approximately ten feet away. The officer claimed he told Rice to raise his hands three times as the car pulled up, but Rice failed to obey. This could not be verified independently since the footage did not have audio.

Rice, who fell to the ground immediately after being shot, died the next day in the hospital.

Neither officer was indicted in the shooting.

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April 4, 2015

Fifty-year-old Walter Scott is pulled over for a nonfunctioning brake light. The police dashcam shows Officer Michael Slager approach Scott’s vehicle, speak to Scott, then return to his police car. Scott gets out of the car and starts to run. Slager chases after him and fires his Taser twice, then fires eight rounds at Scott. Five rounds hit Scott, including three in the back. He dies on the scene.

Cell phone video capturing the incident showed inconsistencies in Slager’s story, and he was arrested for murder. The two-month trial ended in a mistrial after the jury deadlocked with eleven of the twelve jurors favoring a conviction. Later, in a plea agreement, the officer pled guilty to federal charges of a civil rights violation and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

April 12, 2015

Baltimore police officers on bike patrol make eye contact with Freddie Gray who then runs away. A short time later Gray is restrained by the officers on his stomach until a police van arrives. Gray is arrested and handcuffed for illegal possession of a switchblade. He is placed in a Police van but not secured with a seatbelt, against department policy.

When the van arrives at the police station roughly forty minutes later, Gray is unresponsive and not breathing. He is transferred to the hospital where he stays in a coma for a week with a severe spinal cord injury. Twenty-five-year-old Freddie Gray, Jr. dies a week later.

Following Gray’s funeral, the initially non-violent protests became an uprising as cars and buildings were burned, businesses were looted, schools were closed, and a mandatory curfew was imposed.

The medical examiner’s report ruled Gray’s death a homicide. Six indictments were issued to the officers including charges of reckless endangerment, assault, manslaughter, and misconduct in office. By the summer of 2016, one officer received a mistrial, three were acquitted of all charges, and two had their charges dropped.

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July 10, 2015

Shortly after leaving her new job as a community outreach coordinator at Prairie View A&M University in Texas, twenty-eight-year-old Sandra Bland is pulled over by State Trooper Brian Encinia for changing lanes without signaling.

Dashcam video from the trooper’s car show Encinia ordering Bland to extinguish her cigarette, and then ordering her out of the car when she refuses to do so. Bland questions the officer, who draws his stun gun. After Bland exits her car, the two disappear from view and sounds of a struggle are heard. Bland is handcuffed and booked into the Waller County Jail in Hempstead, Texas, on suspicion of felony assault on a public servant.

On July 12, Sandra Bland dies while in custody. Police reported that she used a plastic bag to hang herself in her cell. Bland’s friends and family immediately questioned the story, insisting that she was angry, but not depressed or suicidal. Waller County Sheriff R. Glenn Smith, who was previously sanctioned for allegations of racism and police brutality, said that Bland had a history of suicide. She was not placed under suicide watch, however. In addition, serious questions about the credibility of the Dashcam footage were raised as Texas officials released multiple versions of the video.

Two separate inquiries were launched by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Texas Rangers, but a grand jury declined to indict anyone in the death of Sandra Bland. In January 2016, the same grand jury indicted Trooper Brian Encinia on a charge of for claiming in his arrest report that he removed Bland from the car “to more safely conduct a traffic investigation.”

July 6, 2016 Thirty two-year-old Philando Castile is killed by police officer Jeronimo Yanez in a traffic stop near St. Paul, Minnesota. According to the officers, Castile and his girlfriend, who was a passenger, allegedly resembled suspects involved in an earlier robbery.

Officer Yanez walks up to the car and asks Castile to hand over his license and proof of insurance. Castile informs Yanez that he has a gun in his possession. Yanez says "Don't reach for it then."

Having reached to get the requested documents, Castile says "I'm, I, I was reaching for..." Yanez repeats "Don't pull it out." Castile replies, "I'm not pulling it out." Yanez yells, “Don’t pull it out!” and pulls his own gun from his holster, striking Castile seven times at close range. Castile dies on the scene. After an investigation, Yanez was arrested and tried for the shooting. He was found not guilty.

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Why does police brutality and deadly use of force generate more public outrage than other issues in Black communities that are much more common?

Regardless of race or cultural background, people get distressed and angry when their communities experience an enduring lack of resources and opportunity, which can often lead to high rates of crime and violence. This is particularly the case when racial/ethnic oppression has shaped those circumstances.

However, when violence comes at the hands of public officials – those in trusted positions of power whose job is to serve, protect, and help - the violation is particularly egregious and deeply felt, spurring people to demand change.

While police violence is emblematic of the struggle, the Black Lives Matter Movement goes beyond one issue to challenge anti-Black oppression throughout society in an effort to achieve freedom and justice for all.

What can we do?

Police officers typically want to do their jobs to the best of their ability without causing harm to anyone. To this end, various police departments throughout the U.S. have implemented policies and trainings designed to decrease bias and increase effectiveness in policing.

Many schools and workplaces have engaged in efforts to increase awareness of discriminatory policies and practices and decrease systemic barriers to success.

As individuals, we can all be part of the solution by:

 Listening to different points of view and beginning a journey of life-long learning to gain a better understanding of issues. Educating ourselves will help us establish informed decisions and opinions.

 Exploring our own biases and seeking to understand why we feel and think the way we do.

 Supporting our local institutions (schools, governments, workplaces, communities, families, etc.) as they work to disrupt oppressive patterns of stereotyping, discrimination, and inequity. “Nobody’s free until everybody’s free.” --Civil Rights Activist Fannie Lou Hamer in 1971 Speech to the National Women’s Political Caucus

 Being empathetic and imagining ourselves in the shoes of Photo: Hamer testifying at the 1964 DNC others.

 Making a commitment to actively be part of the solution.

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References

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Abbey-Lambertz, K. (2015, February 13). These 15 Black women were killed during police encounters. Their lives matter, too. HuffPost. Retrieved from: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/black-womens-lives-matter- police-shootings_n_6644276

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