July 2013
George Zimmerman was acquitted of murder and manslaughter on July 13, 2013, in the killing of Trayvon Martin, 17, whom he had shot on February 26, 2012, while Martin was returning from a convenience store in a gated community in Sanford, FL. Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer, had followed Martin despite being told by a 911 dispatcher not to. He invoked Florida's Stand Your Ground law. Alicia Garza wrote a 'love letter to Black people' on Facebook the night of the acquittal; Patrisse Cullors shared it with the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter; Opal Tometi helped build the network. BLM was born from that moment.
In response to George Zimmerman's acquittal, Alicia Garza wrote a social media post that Patrisse Cullors amplified with the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter. Opal Tometi helped build the online infrastructure. The three women are credited as co-founders of Black Lives Matter, which grew into one of the most significant civil rights movements of the 21st century.
Events
- July 13, 2013George Zimmerman Acquitted in Trayvon Martin Killing; Black Lives Matter Founded
George Zimmerman was acquitted of murder and manslaughter on July 13, 2013, in the killing of Trayvon Martin, 17, whom he had shot on February 26, 2012, while Martin was returning from a convenience store in a gated community in Sanford, FL. Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer, had followed Martin despite being told by a 911 dispatcher not to. He invoked Florida's Stand Your Ground law. Alicia Garza wrote a 'love letter to Black people' on Facebook the night of the acquittal; Patrisse Cullors shared it with the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter; Opal Tometi helped build the network. BLM was born from that moment.
- July 13, 2013George Zimmerman Acquitted; Black Lives Matter Founded
George Zimmerman was acquitted in the killing of Trayvon Martin, 17, whom he shot on February 26, 2012, while Martin was returning from a convenience store in Sanford, FL. Zimmerman had followed Martin despite being told by a 911 dispatcher not to. Alicia Garza wrote a 'love letter to Black people' on Facebook the night of the acquittal; Patrisse Cullors shared it with the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter; Opal Tometi helped build the network. BLM was born.
- July 13, 2013George Zimmerman Acquitted; Black Lives Matter Founded in Response
George Zimmerman was acquitted of second-degree murder and manslaughter in the killing of Trayvon Martin. The verdict prompted nationwide protests. Alicia Garza wrote a 'love letter to Black people' on Facebook, which Patrisse Cullors shared with the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter. Opal Tometi joined them, founding what became a global movement for racial justice.
- July 13, 2013Black Lives Matter Founded by Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi
In response to George Zimmerman's acquittal, Alicia Garza wrote a social media post that Patrisse Cullors amplified with the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter. Opal Tometi helped build the online infrastructure. The three women are credited as co-founders of Black Lives Matter, which grew into one of the most significant civil rights movements of the 21st century.
- July 13, 2013Black Lives Matter is founded
After George Zimmerman's acquittal, three organizers launch a movement and a hashtag.