Black Lives Matter

[ blak lahyvz mat-er ]

noun

1. a political and social movement originating among African Americans, emphasizing basic human rights and racial equality for Black people and campaigning against various forms of racism. : BLM, B.L.M.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Black Lives Matter¹

First recorded in 2013; the slogan that arose from the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter on social media after George Zimmerman was acquitted of murder in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed African American teenager

Example Sentences

A few carried signs: "IMAGINE JUSTICE," "BLACK LIVES MATTER," "CLAIM HUMANITY."

From The Daily Beast

A diverse crowd held up signs that read, “Black Lives Matter” and “Am I Next?”

From The Daily Beast

The American economy does not teach us that “black lives matter,” at least not as much as white lives.

From The Daily Beast

One of the animating slogans of the protests in Ferguson has been "Black Lives Matter."

From The Daily Beast