Black Lives Matter

This guide is intended as a resource to learn about the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement and associated issues. This guide is not solely about the BLM organization, for more information about them, please visit the Black Lives Matter website. The BLM organization started the movement and is still active. Their about page provides the following description of the organization's founding and purpose:

#BlackLivesMatter was founded in 2013 in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin's murderer. Black Lives Matter Foundation, Inc is a global organization in the US, UK, and Canada, whose mission is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes. By combating and countering acts of violence, creating space for Black imagination and innovation, and centering Black joy, we are winning immediate improvements in our lives.

Fibonacci Blue from Minnesota, USA - Black Lives Matter protest against St. Paul police brutality, CC BY 2.0

The creation of this guide was inspired by a presentation, Black Lives Matter: How should HSU respond to the clarion call for justice?, by Dr. John Johnson and Dr. Renée Byrd at HSU's Institute for Student Success on August 18, 2015. Many of the resources listed on this guide were compiled by the workshop presenters and were intended to provide readers/attendees with a starting point for elevating awareness around issues of racism, police brutality, and mass incarceration in the United States. Many of the items listed are accessible for free and available through the campus library.