Black Lives Matter

noun

: a movement founded in 2013 to end white supremacy and support Black communities

Note: Black Lives Matter was founded by Black community organizers Patrisse Khan-Cullors, Alicia Garza, and Opal Tometi after George Zimmerman was acquitted of charges relating to his fatal shooting of Black teenager Trayvon Martin in 2012; the movement expanded as people reacted to police killings of unarmed Black people in years following. The name Black Lives Matter functions as a declaration that Black people's lives have as much value as white people's lives, and as a call to end systems and practices that challenge this fact.

abbreviation BLM

Examples of Black Lives Matter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In some of the 2020 protests, even in San Diego, there were places where there were Black Lives Matter protesters and media reports said counter protesters showed up and started smashing windows. Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Apr. 2024 Some controversial topics – like intersectionality – were reintroduced, while others – like the Black Lives Matter movement – remain optional. USA TODAY, 28 Apr. 2024 In the conservative media sphere, the protests are fresh evidence of the disorder and unrest that have long gripped liberal institutions — particularly at Ivy League schools — as social movements like Black Lives Matter, and now pro-Palestinian activism, spread their influence. Santul Nerkar, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2024 An internal movement withers The inferno that the Black Lives Matter resurgence sparked in 2020 has since dwindled. Lila MacLellan, Fortune, 26 Apr. 2024 During the wave of Black Lives Matter protests, the Board of Education removed officers from campus — limiting them to patrols, investigations and crisis response — but these parents are demanding their return to on-campus duties. Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2024 There is no mention of a contribution to Black Lives Matter. Ricardo Torres, Journal Sentinel, 19 Apr. 2024 Embracing social justice issues explicitly places the NBA on a particular side in modern American politics on issues like Black Lives Matter. TIME, 19 Apr. 2024 At least so far, the pro-Palestinian protests have been relatively small compared with the Black Lives Matter demonstrations in 2020. Tim Craig, Washington Post, 16 Apr. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Black Lives Matter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

2014, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Black Lives Matter was in 2014

Dictionary Entries Near Black Lives Matter

Cite this Entry

“Black Lives Matter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Black%20Lives%20Matter. Accessed 2 May. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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