A movement founded in 2013 by Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi
A global organization that protests racially motivated violence against Black people
A hashtag that symbolizes the importance of protecting all Black lives
When a Black teenager named Trayvon Martin was senselessly killed in 2012, the African American community called for his murderer to be held accountable. But like many other racially sparked incidents in the past, his killer walked free. People looked for justice and healing in the moment. They turned to social media and a simple yet powerful hashtag emerged, #BlackLivesMatter.
The message grew into an international movement and has now become the rallying cry during protests against police brutality and racial acts of violence. The movement gained even more attention and support in 2020 when it called for police reform in the United States after the police-related murder of George Floyd.
Author
Lakita Wilson
Lakita Wilson is the author of several novels and nonfiction projects for children and young adults, including What Is Black Lives Matter? a part of the New York Times bestselling Who HQ Now series, the middle grade contemporary novesl Be Real, Macy Weaver and Sparkle, and the new YA novel Pretty Girl County. Lakita was born in Washington, DC, and grew up in Prince George’s County, Maryland. A 2017 recipient of SCBWI’s Emerging Voices Award, Lakita received her MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She is currently on faculty at Prince George’s Community College in the education department. Lakita lives in Prince George’s County, Maryland, with her two children and shih-tzu. She can be found online at lakitawilson.com.
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