Influential Women in the BLM Movement
By: Avery DeLacey
The Black Lives Matter movement, spanning from 2013 to today, is shifting the way we live for a reason. Changing a way of life is only possible when you get an entire country involved - the more people creating change, the better. While it is important to recognize everyone who has had a significant impact on the movement, there is a copious amount of women in particular who have not received the recognition they rightfully deserve.
These women worked hard to evoke change. They continue to spread their messages today, and their names should be known.
Alicia Garza
Source: aliciagarza.com
Did you know that it was three women who created the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter? Alicia Garza is a 39 year old black woman who is an American civil rights activist and editorial writer. After George Zimmerman was acquitted of murder in the Trayvon Martin case in 2013, Garza tweeted, “Black people. I love you. I love us. Our lives matter, Black Lives Matter.” Fellow activist, Patrisse Cullors then shared the tweet with the hashtag “#BlackLivesMatter.” Now, of course there are a lot of different aspects that constitute a movement, but from 2013 to 2016 alone the hashtag was used on Twitter 11.8 million times. This hashtag created a universal space to gather all of the messages that make up the Black Lives Matter movement. Look up the hashtag right now on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook and you’re bound to see beautiful photos and quotes empowering black people and educating the societies they live in. Without this hashtag, it would never be possible to see all of this content so beautifully arranged together.
Breonna Taylor
Source: wtvq.com
When you think of the Black Lives Matter movement today, the first name that will likely pop into your head is George Floyd. One name that many have overlooked is that of Breonna Taylor, a black EMT murdered by law enforcement while she slept in her apartment. She was shot by Louisville police officers on March 13th of this year. Police entered the home of Taylor and her boyfriend without knocking or announcing themselves, because they had a search warrant for a crime that two suspects were already in custody for. The murder of George Floyd, weeks later, finally brought this inexcusable act to light. Breonna Taylor represents more than an African American who was murdered, she represents an African American woman who was murdered. And even though she is not with us today, she is changing the world and the Black Lives Matter movement.
Kimberlé Crenshaw
Source: vox.com
Ever heard of the terms “intersectionality” or “Say her name?” You can credit Kimberlé Crenshaw for both of those. Crenshaw has created change thanks to her tireless work as a lawyer, philosopher, and professor. Crenshaw and The African American Policy Forum coined the hashtag #SayHerName in 2015 in an effort to raise awareness and pay respect to black female victims of police brutality in the United States. Prior to this hashtag, most of the public assumed black males were the predominant victims of police brutality, which is not the case. Intersectionality refers to a combination of factors such as race, gender, political beliefs, etc. that combine to affect the injustices and discrimination certain groups of people face. Crenshaw coined this term over 30 years ago in an attempt to diminish racial hierarchies. This term was trending on social media platforms like Twitter, creating an important conversation about race and gender.
Kerry Washington
Source: netflix.com
You know Kerry Washington from her work in television and film, but this movement has given us a chance to see her in a different light. Washington has done her part in tweeting, protesting, and donating, but her real contribution to the movement comes from her film, “American Son.” She urges people to watch her Netflix film that deals with the injustices black people face in the law enforcement system. Washington said, “My dream for this film was to spark conversations that would lead to change.” Washington is using her platform to spark conversation and she has even made a guide for black mothers to help them talk to their sons about racism and personal safety while watching this film.
It is important to be familiar with the women who have worked tirelessly to create change, and it is also important to know the black women who have been lost to police brutality. Black male victims are typically talked about more in the media, and this is important, but the reality is that black women are often targeted by police in the same ways men are, yet are spoken of far less. We must know their names and their stories and learn to share their knowledge and courage with the changing world around us.
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