Rhetorical Analysis of Garza's "Herstory of #BlackLivesMatter"

Introduction: Overview of Garza's Argument and Audience

In "A Herstory of the #BlackLivesMatter Movement," co-founder of #BlackLivesMatter Alicia Garza writes about the history of the organization and social movement, the movement's objectives and core philosophies, and 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 of 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 of pathos, ethos, and logos.

Context and Purpose: Why #BlackLivesMatter Exists

Garza writes "A Herstory" to respond to attempts to appropriate the movement's core slogan, or even to replace it with phrases like "all lives matter." According to Garza, it is essential to draw attention specifically to Black lives. Writing to an audience she 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 Martin was the precipitating event for starting the movement, precisely because the case showed how a Black life is viewed as dispensable. In the Trayvon Martin case, a man was allowed to kill an unarmed Black teenager simply because he perceived him to be a threat, and the judicial system compounded this failure by refusing to convict the killer. #BlackLivesMatter is a response to this and similar injustices. The author makes a point of stating that #BlackLivesMatter is not only about police brutality but about all forms of institutionalized racism, unequal power structures, and discrimination.

Logos: Intersectionality and Historical Contextualization

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 and radically different from other social justice causes. #BlackLivesMatter resembles 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 women who recognize how racism, sexism, homophobia, and other forms of systematic discrimination prevent America from living up to its potential. Many readers may not have known about the feminist grounding of #BlackLivesMatter philosophy, and Garza's article therefore offers important insight into how the movement intends to create meaningful change in society. It would have been helpful if Garza had mentioned specific legal or legislative actions being taken to advance the cause, but in general the article does a strong job of showing why the movement exists. In this sense, Garza fulfills the criterion of logos: using factual evidence and logic to construct the argument.

Conclusion: Solidarity, Co-optation, and the Call to Action

Garza ultimately urges readers to support the movement because it represents a fundamental shift in values and norms. The suggestion is that by supporting #BlackLivesMatter, readers from all backgrounds can better understand oppression, power, and intersectionality. It is especially important to support #BlackLivesMatter as an expression of solidarity with all social justice movements.

Garza argues that persons in positions of privilege sometimes try to co-opt and take credit for the work that women and people of color do, which belittles social movements and prevents them from gaining traction with a mainstream audience. As Garza states, "When you drop 'Black' from the equation of whose lives matter, and then fail to acknowledge it came from somewhere, you further a legacy of erasing Black lives and Black contributions from our movement legacy" (3). If fulfilling the principles of equality and justice is part of the American dream, then all Americans need to recognize the value of Black contributions alongside the contributions of women, immigrants, and all other groups that do not hold the same degree of power or agency as wealthy white men. Working together to improve the status of people of color, of women, and of immigrants, all people contribute to the betterment of society.

Works Cited

Garza, Alicia. "A Herstory of the #BlackLivesMatter Movement." The Feminist Wire, Oct. 7, 2014. PDF.