#BlackLivesMatter

In 2013 the #BlackLivesMatter movement began after George Zimmerman was found not guilty after fatally shooting 17 year old African American Trayvon Martin. People became enraged as minor Martin was unarmed and the trial called to question the U.S justice system, gun violence, and racial injustice. The movement grew as events involving police brutality around the U.S increased. The movement culminated in 2020 after the murder of George Floyd who was arrested for a counterfeit bill but within minutes was pinned down and killed by officers who did not follow policies of the Minneapolis Police Department. As videos from bystanders circulated the internet, people became increasingly concerned with the racial injustice occurring in the U.S.

This movement quickly went offline and motivated people to take to the streets and protest. The protests became global witnessing protestors in the United Kingdom, France, Colombia, and New Zealand. There was even a protest here in Downtown Kennesaw who joined the BLM movement but more specifically called for the removal of Wildman’s Civil War Surplus store. The store contains Ku Klux Klan and Confederate artifacts and the owner claims it is a part of Kennesaw’s history. This specific movement highlights the power of social media and how it can reach every corner of the world and spark conversations and paths to change.

Sources: 

​​https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/31/us/george-floyd-investigation.html

https://www.gpb.org/news/2020/06/13/protests-around-confederate-store-reflect-changing-southehttps://library.law.howard.edu/civilrightshistory/BLMrn-city

https://library.law.howard.edu/civilrightshistory/BLM