Greetings!
2023 marks the ten-year anniversary of Black Live Matter (BLM), a grassroots and decentralized political/social movement seeking criminal justice for African Americans. BLM which began in 2013 as a hashtag #BlackLivesMatter on social media after the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, evolved into street demonstrations against police brutality in 2014 following the deaths of Eric Garner in New York City, and Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. In the subsequent years, in light of the deaths of numerous African Americans by police actions, many demonstrations, rallies, and die-ins were organized by BLM across the United States. What began as an online platform with a set of goals seeking criminal justice for African Americans, quickly expanded to a national network of over 30 chapters by 2016. The most notable demonstration of BLM movement occurred in 2020 following the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. An estimated 26 million people participated in the 2020 BLM protests in the United States, calling for criminal justice reform, as one of the largest demonstrations in U.S. history. In 2021, BLM was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
The Internet, not only was responsible for the expansions of the BLM movement across the United States, but also was credited for garnishing global solidarity around the world. People in many countries organized demonstrations in support of the BLM movement in the U.S.–Germany, Japan, Canada, Denmark, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. BLM’s Nobel Peace Prize nomination was submitted by Norwegian Parliament member, Peter Eide.
Given the significance of the BLM movement, at its tenth anniversary, it is important to reflect on what the movement has accomplished in the past 10 years, as well as to project what the movement could attain in the future. More importantly, it is crucial to examine what political/social movements in the U.S., as well as those around the world, could learn from the BLM movement. It is with these goals, my colleagues and I are editing a volume, Black Lives Matter, Ten Year Later, and we are seeking your contribution. If you are interested in contributing to this volume, please send Shing-Ling Sarina Chen (sarina.chen@uni.edu) a 750-word (no more than 1000 words) abstract of your work by November 15, 2022. Please note that original research, empirical or theoretical, utilizing any perspective is welcomed. Topics to address include, but not limited to:
BLM and the decentralized grassroots organization
BLM and the Internet/Social Media
BLM and African Americans
BLM and the legislation
BLM and counter movements (White Lives Matter, Blue Lives Matter, etc.)
BLM and political/social movements in the U.S.
BLM and political/social movements around the world
BLM and non-profit fundraising
BLM and misinformation
BLM and the popular culture
BLM and the children
BLM and education
Thank you for considering our call. Looking forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Shing-Ling Sarina Chen
Professor
Dept. of Communication and Media
Univ. of Northern Iowa
Bill Ayers 