The racial injustice surrounding the African-American population has been a topic of discourse for a significant amount of time. Given the persistence of numerous stereotypes and the lack of equality ingrained into the lives of numerous black populations, social movements to highlight these problems have been created. Black Lives Matter (BLM), a recent campaign that has received tremendous support from African Americans throughout the globe, is an excellent example of such a movement (Chase). Nevertheless, as the popularity of the BLM has spread, it has become a controversial issue in various countries, with such adverse consequences as property destruction and injury due to protests being reported (Gonzalez 1092). In this regard, although BLM has shed light on the injustice and prejudice present in the relationships between the African American community and the police force, it has also caused a variety of negative ramifications. To this day, BLM remains a vital complication to be addressed regarding civil rights support and dangers to civilians and buildings.
The origins of the BLM movement are connected to the multiple incidents between African American individuals and police officers. BLM was established in 2013, addressing the shooting of a Black teenager, Trayvon Martin, killed by a police officer, George Zimmerman (Gonzalez 1092). After the officer was acquitted by the court, receiving no punishment for shooting an unarmed teenager without any provocation, BLM began gaining extreme popularity throughout the world (Gonzalez 1092). The main issue addressed by the campaign were the higher likelihood for African Americans to be shot by the police in the US and the overall predominant negative attitude towards black individuals present in police organizations and judicial decisions (Wilkins et al. 786). To battle these complications and promote the value of African-American people’s lives, BLM initiates social media campaigns, protests, and volunteer meetings, ensuring the increase of awareness regarding the discussed issue.
The results of BLM’s activities have been shown to have a positive effect on society and the mitigation of harmful perceptions of African-Americans among American police officers. Across the US, investigations into police mistreatment of black people have been launched, and such outcomes as decreased financial support and more evidence-based trials have been noted (Hoffman et al.). Nonetheless, the adverse outcomes of continuous protests have also been frequently described, revealing that such movements often lead to injuries among participants, officers, and even uninvolved citizens (Hoffman et al.). The destruction of various properties has also been discussed, resulting in losses of profit and bankruptcy for numerous businesses. Therefore, even though BLM initiated positive changes in the lives of African-American individuals, such transformations are also linked to numerous hospitalizations and damages to other people’s properties.
To conclude, the BLM movement remains a pertinent controversial issue for modern society, being related to both positive and negative consequences for the involved communities. While BLM has focused the attention of the public on the challenges experienced by black individuals during police encounters, it has also instigated violent protest actions. Such campaigns have not only damaged the property of individuals who were not associated with the movement but have also caused physical damage to numerous people. From this perspective, even though BLM’s focus on racism and injustice toward black communities is essential in the modern world, the negative ramifications make this movement problematic for society.
Works Cited
Chase, Garrett. “The Early History of the Black Lives Matter Movement, and the Implications Thereof.” Nevada Law Journal, vol. 18, 2018.
Gonzalez, Mike. “Black Lives Matter Continues To Harm America, Money Problems Aside.” The Heritage Foundation.
Hoffman, Louis, et al. “An Existential–Humanistic Perspective on Black Lives Matter and Contemporary Protest Movements.” Journal of Humanistic Psychology, vol. 56, no. 6, 2016, pp. 595–611.
Wilkins, Denise J., et al. “Whose Tweets? The Rhetorical Functions of Social Media Use in Developing the Black Lives Matter Movement.” British Journal of Social Psychology, vol. 58, no. 4, 2019, pp. 786–805.