By Don Valentine
It took 10 brief years for “His-Story” to recalibrate the stalwart civil rights backstop, Black Lives Matter (BLM). It was created on July 13th, 2013 after the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer, George Zimmerman. Three heroic ladies, Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi, ignited this online grassroots protest vehicle. The momentum of this juggernaut movement had to be stopped. The New York Times titled a lengthy article describing the inertia as, “Black Lives Matter May Be the Largest Movement in U.S. History.” That article described the intensity after the George Floyd murder this way, “Four recent polls — including one released this week by Civis Analytics, a data science firm that works with businesses and Democratic campaigns — suggest that about 15 million to 26 million people in the United States have participated in demonstrations over the death of George Floyd and others in recent weeks.”
Over the years since that civil reckoning, the mainstream media has denigrated BLM by tarnishing their stated purpose. The perception of BLM has become domestic terrorists, anti-White, violent guerrilla thugs. The watchdog publication foreignpolicy.com chronicled, “The FBI assesses it is very likely Black Identity Extremist (BIE) perceptions of police brutality against African Americans spurred an increase in premeditated, retaliatory lethal violence against law enforcement and will very likely serve as justification for such violence…”
Respected news outlets, like the Associated Press, have reported on the growing hysteria about BLM movements. An AP article said, “A prominent law enforcement training group is promoting a lengthy research document riddled with falsehoods and conspiracies that urges local police to treat Black Lives Matter activists as terrorists plotting a violent revolution…contains misinformation and inflammatory rhetoric that could incite officers against protesters and people of color, critics said. It alleges Black Lives Matter and antifa, an umbrella term for leftist militants, are ‘revolutionary movements whose aims are to overthrow the U.S. government’ and claims they are planning “extreme violence.”
The “Lost Black History” is that BLM is a nonviolent, civil rights movement. Their adroitly worded home page articulates the mission plan “Herstory: In 2013, three radical Black organizers — Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi — created a Black-centered political will and movement building project called #BlackLivesMatter. It was in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer, George Zimmerman. Black Lives Matter is an ideological and political intervention in a world where Black lives are systematically and intentionally targeted for demise. It is an affirmation of Black folks’ humanity, our contributions to this society, and our resilience in the face of deadly oppression…”
The nonviolence aspect is subtly positioned, “…As a network, we have always recognized the need to center the leadership of women and queer and trans people. To maximize our movement’s muscle, and to be intentional about not replicating harmful practices…” BLM founders are from a vocal “Rainbow-Family” and not the “By any means necessary” legion.
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