Movement of resistance · 2013–now
Black Lives Matter
A decentralized movement against police violence and for Black life.
On the timeline
- February 26, 2012The killing of Trayvon Martin
The shooting of an unarmed Black teenager and the later acquittal help spark Black Lives Matter.
- July 13, 2013Black Lives Matter is founded
After George Zimmerman's acquittal, three organizers launch a movement and a hashtag.
- July 17, 2014The killing of Eric Garner
"I can't breathe" becomes a rallying cry after Garner's death in police custody.
- August 9, 2014Ferguson and Michael Brown
The police killing of Michael Brown sparks sustained protest and a national reckoning on policing.
- November 22, 2014The killing of Tamir Rice
A 12-year-old is shot by Cleveland police within seconds.
- April 12, 2015Freddie Gray and the Baltimore uprising
Gray's death in police custody triggers protests in Baltimore.
- July 13, 2015The death of Sandra Bland
Bland is found dead in a Texas jail after a contested traffic stop.
- August 26, 2016Colin Kaepernick takes a knee
The quarterback kneels during the anthem to protest police violence.
- February 23, 2020The killing of Ahmaud Arbery
Arbery is chased and murdered while jogging in Georgia.
- March 13, 2020The killing of Breonna Taylor
Taylor is killed by police in a botched raid in Louisville.
- May 25, 2020The murder of George Floyd
A Minneapolis officer kills George Floyd on video, igniting the largest protests in US history.
- April 20, 2021Derek Chauvin convicted
The officer who murdered George Floyd is convicted on all counts.
Resources
The web
Connections to other moments, systems, and investigations — the links rarely drawn together.
- part of (incoming)·EventFerguson and Michael Brown
Ferguson turned a hashtag into a sustained national movement.