Black Lives Matter

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An NAACP flyer campaigning for the Dyer Anti-Lynching Bill, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives in 1922, but was filibustered to defeat in the Senate. Dyer, the NAACP, and freedom fighters around the country, like Flossie Baily, struggled for years to get the Dyer and other anti-lynching bills passed, to no avail. Today there is still no U.S. law specifically against lynching. In 2005, eighty of the 100 U.S. Senators voted for a resolution to apologize to victims' families and the country for their failure to outlaw lynching. Courtesy of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
Some Exhibits to Come – One Hundred Years of Jim Crow
Mammy Statue JC Museum Ferris
Bibliography – One Hundred Years Of Jim Crow
Claude, age 23, just months before his 1930 murder. Courtesy of Faith Deeter.
Freedom’s Heroes During Jim Crow: Flossie Bailey and the Deeters
Souvenir Portrait of the Lynching of Abram Smith and Thomas Shipp, August 7, 1930, by studio photographer Lawrence Beitler. Courtesy of the Indiana Hisorical Society.
An Iconic Lynching in the North
Lynching Quilt
Claxton Dekle – Prosperous Farmer, Husband & Father of Two
Joshua Glover Plaque
Some Exhibits to Come – Three Centuries Of Enslavement
Harriet Tubman, "The Conductor," with fugitive slaves in Underground Railroad station
Bibliography – Three Centuries of Enslavement
Ancient manuscripts about mathematics and astronomy from Timbuktu, Mali
Some Exhibits to Come – African Peoples Before Captivity
Shackles for Adults & Children from the Henrietta Marie
Some Exhibits to Come – The Middle Passage
Slaveship Stowage Plan
What I Saw Aboard a Slave Ship in 1829
Arno Michaels
Life After Hate: A Former White Power Leader Redeems Himself

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Black Lives Matter, sometimes shortened to “BLM,” is an anti-racist movement that highlights racism and the disparities that evolve from racism, including police brutality and other anti-Black violence. Black Lives Matter gained popularity online after the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer was recorded and shared by a bystander. In response to the video, which shows officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, protests erupted around the world. These protests were often met with police violence, some of which has been declared illegal while protestors have been falsely arrested.

The momentum continued to draw attention to police violence, both as more Black lives were taken and as previous stories came to light. Trayvon MartinMichael BrownEric Garner, and Breonna Taylor are also victims who the movement has recognized. Thanks to the attention given to these cases, some of the perpetrators have finally faced justice, including Derek Chauvin, who has been convicted with murder.

BLM also encouraged police reform and greater investigations into policing, with some activists calling for reparations  or to defund the police and reroute funds to other social programs that may be more effective. The movement has further brought attention to international conflict and raised funds during the COVID-19 pandemic. In some ways, the movement reflects the previous Civil Rights Movement, which lasted through the 1960s to 1980s including the Black Panther Party, which provided community assistance. Because of this, the movement has been recognized for its historical significance. 

However, the movement has come under fire for protests that turned violent, for focusing too much on Black men, and for mismanaging funds raised.

A nonprofit organization, The Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, also exists. Some people may refer to it as simply “Black Lives Matter.”

See all of our Black Lives Matter content below, starting with the most recent.

For Black Women, the Oscars Are About More Than Best Picture

March 16, 2026

The contrast between “Sinners” and “One Battle After Another” shows how Hollywood narratives shape policy, power, and whose lives are valued.

In Chicago, Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. Is Remembered as a Giant Who Expanded the Meaning of Power

March 2, 2026

While Jackson’s moral leadership in the civil rights movement is widely known, speakers and attendees throughout the week emphasized another part of his legacy.

Reading the Nation at 250: Who Is Missing From the Story?

February 6, 2026

As America prepares to celebrate 250 years of independence, a federal reading initiative reveals a glaring truth: the nation is still telling its story without Black women.

Alarming Trend Shows Maternal Syphilis Surging in the U.S.

January 28, 2026

A report from the United Negro College Fund said high schools need to do more to introduce students to HBCUs.

FBI agents sue after being fired for kneeling during racial justice protest

December 8, 2025

The former agents argue that kneeling was a way to preserve peace when they were backed against a wall by protestors.

Lessons From a Veteran Black Math Teacher

December 5, 2025

Alexandria Brown didn’t plan on being a math teacher. Eleven years later, here’s what she knows about helping Black students excel.

After 17 Police Bullets Killed This N.C. Mom, a Judge Has Dismissed Her Family’s Case

December 4, 2025

Jada Elizabeth Johnson’s family watched as police ended her life after having previously ignored her calls about an abusive ex.

The City Where the Summer of 2020 Never Really Ended

November 3, 2025

While the city hasn’t forgotten George Floyd, many have moved on from their push to defund the police, as evidenced by the mayoral election.

FBI fires agents who kneeled during 2020 racial justice protest

September 27, 2025

The FBI Agents Association’s response accuses the current FBI director, Patel Kash, of breaking the law with this action.

3 Ways to Prevent Suicide Death

September 25, 2025

Word In Black’s health reporter shares three things she’s learned in the last three years of reporting to prevent suicide death.