Civil Rights Movement: The Black Lives Matter Movement

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An idea can inspire a movement. An idea is power. According to the #BlackLivesMatter Organization, the organization describes themselves as “a call to action and a response to the virulent anti-Black racism that permeates our society” – a wide statement for an organization with wide agendas. The movement represents righting wrongs and expressing identity for many Americans in a nation where free speech is highly valued. I support the Black Lives Matter Movement because I respect free speech, and I understand that protest is key to affecting change. Racial discrimination has been an ugly part of history, but history is full of many attempts that seek to change injustices. The historic, pivotal Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s redefined how the general US populace saw racial discrimination, as the Black Lives Matter Movement seeks to do today through the use of media and public demonstrations. …show more content…
Even if one disagrees with the message, they have the freedom of expression. The movement’s demonstrations tend to be nonviolent; granted, one must acknowledge that the movement is decentralized, and, thus, some actions do not represent the movement as a whole. Peaceful protests leave a longer-lasting message than taking an eye-for-an-eye. In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” In 1963, the March on Washington brought more than a quarter-million people who supported JFK’s civil rights bill. They unified, as chapters of Black Lives matter now do on city streets and college