it seems to me that overall the BLM movement is widely misunderstood and has been molded into a political talking point and mode of broad based accusation for many.
I think it's good, no matter what opinion one holds, that the BLM movement be understood for what it actually is. No offense to either side of the debate but attempting to understand why and where there are differences is rather important, and required imo.
The movement/slogan itself hails from protests of the 2012 fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin. Also at that time three radical Black organizers started an organization named "Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation" It also now operates a website called blacklivesmatter.com which some consider taking advantage of the broader movement to garner support.
There is also a separate organization named “Black Lives Matter Foundation, based in Santa Clarita, California which claims no affiliation with the aforementioned although that is thoroughly debatable.
A second organization that functions as something of a hub for official Black Lives Matter organizing is the "Movement for Black Lives"
This group also operates under a fiscal sponsorship arrangement as a project of the Alliance for Global Justice. It describes itself as “a collective of more than 50 organizations,” one of which is the more radical "Black Lives Matter Network,”
There are no universal meetings. There is no centralized, national organization called Black Lives Matter. And it is inclusive to differing political agendas, making no such political distinctions. If a republican organization sympathetic to the overall cause wanted to operate under their umbrella I'm sure they could, or maybe they already do.
Such ambiguity causes confusion when decentralized movements are conflated with actual existing legal entities. It is almost certain that the huge percentage of peaceful protesters are not affiliated in any way with these organizations. But when attacking the Black Lives Matter movement it is rather easy to point to any one of the organizations or subsequent branches which operate independently.
Especially since some of those entities introduce more radical views to the movement for self benefit, and shelter more contentious views among the larger movement.
Often going unchecked and usually unnoticed by the average participant. And certainly the unaffiliated majority.
But there is no doubt that the term Black Lives Matter is a heartfelt slogan adopted from the beginning by not only concerned citizens, but also a banner for those with varying and/or extreme agendas.
Yet, we would be wise to remember that for the huge majority of people protesting, the term is a statement and not a banner tied to a particular organization, of which all came after the fact. And understand it is most often meant as a heartfelt statement.
Lumping all under one of those "non profit" banners, plays into the hands of the extremists and is not fair to the genuinely concerned. As well as being all too convenient for those detractors who might also have an extreme agenda.
So I would hope to be be careful before we judge either side too harshly on any particular matter, and take every opinion into careful consideration. There is plenty of good intention on either side..and bad intent present with both.
Just a thought.
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