Black Lives Matter
Today's A to Z Challenge post brought to you by the letter... The official movement began in 2012 after George Zimmerman was acquitted for murdering Trayvon Martin under Florida’s Stand Your Ground Defense (something that was not allowed in the defense of Marissa Alexander , convicted of aggravated assault in the same year for firing a warning shot at her abusive husband). It began as a conversation between friends on Facebook and quickly grew from there, built into a movement by Alicia Garza, Opal Tometi, and Patrisse Cullors, who organized freedom rides after the death of Michael Brown in Saint Louis. It is an inclusive movement that is not focused on just cis black males but also women, those in the LGBTQ+ spectrum, the disabled, and undocumented immigrants. It’s not unlike the NAACP, an organization designed to protect the civil rights of black people . In fact, at the 2016 NAACP convention, their theme was “Our Lives Matter, Oure Votes Count.” The only real difference...