Community organizers Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi used the social media hashtag #BlackLivesMatter after the 2012 acquittal of George Zimmerman, the killer of Trayvon Martin, a 17- year-old Florida teen, and set off a movement to address the ongoing violence and killings of Black men, women and children at the hands of police (law enforcement) and vigilantes. Similar to the Civil Rights Movement, the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement brought attention to how Black lives have been deprived of their basic human rights and dignity. The movement also challenges people to address issues of racism and inequality around the world.
The BLM movement also helped inspire another related but equally important movement, the #SayHerName campaign. This campaign was started in 2014 by the African American Policy Forum (AAPF) and Center for Intersectionality and Social Policy Studies (CISPS). The #SayHerName campaign brings awareness to the state violence that is visited upon Black women and girls.
The intention of this guide is to provide information resources related to the BLM movement and its founding. Resources have been placed in various topics or categories. It goes without saying that many titles could have been placed in more than one category. As with most online library guides new resources or categories may be added. Please revisit this site for updates.
~ Kofi Acree, Director, John Henrik Clarke Africana Library, send email
An interview with the founders of Black Lives Matter, Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi.