Black Lives Matter facts for kids

Black Lives Matter
Black Lives Matter
Formation	July 13, 2013; 7 years ago
Type	Activist organization
Purpose/focus	Anti-racist advocacy and protest
Location	International; (mostly in the United States)
Key people	Shaun King; DeRay Mckesson; Johnetta Elzie; Tef Poe; Erica Garner;

Black Lives Matter (BLM) is an international activist group. They originated in the African-American community. They are against violence and systemic racism toward black people.

The movement began in 2013 with the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter on social media, after the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the death of Trayvon Martin. They became famous for their street demonstrations, following the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner. The earlier sparked riots and unrest in Ferguson, Missouri. The latter sparked protests all over the United States.

Since the Ferguson protests, participants of Black Lives Matter have demonstrated against other African-Americans' deaths, like Freddie Gray, Sandra Bland, Laquan McDonald, Philando Castile and Alton Sterling.

The movement returned to national headlines during the George Floyd protests.

Images for kids

Minneapolis protesters marching on May 26, the day after Floyd's death
Black Lives Matter die-in protest at Metro Green Line against allegations of police brutality in Saint Paul, Minnesota
"Million Hoodie March" in Union Square, Manhattan on March 21, 2012, protesting George Zimmerman's shooting of Trayvon Martin
Black Lives Matter protest against police brutality in St. Paul, Minnesota
Black Lives Matter demonstration in Oakland, California
A Black Lives Matter protest of police brutality in the rotunda of the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota
A demonstrator, wearing the uniform of the Orioles baseball team on the street in Baltimore
Black Lives Matter protest against St. Paul police brutality at Metro Green Line
Protest march in response to the Jamar Clark shooting, Minneapolis, Minnesota
An activist holds a "Black Lives Matter" sign outside the Minneapolis Police Fourth Precinct building following the officer-involved shooting of Jamar Clark on November 15, 2015.
Protest march in response to the shooting of Philando Castile, St. Paul, Minnesota on July 7, 2016
Black Lives Matter protest at Union Square, Manhattan
Bern Machine with a BLM sticker, September 18, 2015
Bernie Sanders and Black Lives Matter activists in Westlake Park, Seattle
Black Lives Matter protest at Herald Square, Manhattan
States that have activated the National Guard in response to the George Floyd protests