In “A Herstory of the #BlackLivesMatter Movement,” co-founder of #BlackLivesMatter Alicia Garza writes about the history of the organization/social movement, the movement’s objectives and core philosophies, and also where the movement fits into the history of social protest in America. Garza covers a lot of ground in a relatively short space, tackling issues as diverse as queer politics, the misappropriation and hijacking of the contributions made by women of color, and the importance of Black liberation for improving the quality of life for all Americans. Garza’s audience is non-Black, and likely predominantly white as Garza clearly differentiates between the “we” of Black women and the “you” of a presumably white audience. Although the article would be more effective if detailed data or statistics were used, Garza effectively clarifies the #BlackLivesMatter philosophy and responds to critics of the movement using rhetorical strategies like pathos, ethos, and logos.
Garza writes “A Herstory” to respond to attempts to appropriate the movement’s core slogan or even to say “all lives matter.” According to Garza, it is essential to draw attention specifically to Black lives. Writing to an audience Garza presumes to be white, the author points out that #BlackLivesMatter “doesn’t mean your life isn’t important—it means that Black lives...are important to your liberation,” (3). Liberation, freedom, and justice are the cornerstones of American society; Garza shows that when justice is miscarried, all Americans suffer by failing to realize the potential for improving quality of life throughout the country. Garza also explains that the killing of Trayvon...
In the Trayvon Martin case, a white man was allowed to kill an unarmed Black man simply because he perceived him to be a threat, and then the judicial system failed by refusing to convict the killer. #BlackLivesMatter is a response to this and similar injustices.The author makes a point to say that #BlackLivesMatter is not just about police brutality but actually about all forms of institutionalized racism, unequal power structures, and discrimination.
One of the strengths of Garza’s article is the way the author puts #BlackLivesMatter into perspective, showing how the movement is both similar to but radically different from other social justice causes. #BlackLivesMatter is similar to other movements that draw attention to institutionalized racism or sexism, and aim to correct those problems through a combination of communication and political strategies. Garza shows how #BlackLivesMatter fits into the Black Liberation movement in general. However, #BlackLivesMatter differs from other movements in that it focuses on intersectionality and not just race. The founders of the movement are queer Black females who recognize how racism, sexism, homophobia, and other systematic discrimination prevents America from living up to its potential. Many readers may not have known about the feminist grounding of #BlackLivesMatter philosophy, and so will learn a lot about the way the movement intends to create meaningful changes in the society. It would be helpful if Garza had mentioned specific legal or legislative action being taken to advance the cause, but in general the article does a good job in showing why the…
