A Comprehensive Timeline of the #BlackLivesMatter Movement
Unpacking the history of #BLM.
by SOPHIE SCHLOSSER ★ JUNE 10, 2020
“I can’t breathe,” said George Floyd, moments before his last breath was caused by the impenetrable weight of Minneapolis police officer Andrew Chauvin on May 25. Soon after his death, a video surfaced of Chauvin kneeling over Floyd’s neck for almost nine minutes, ultimately rendering Floyd lifeless. Floyd’s death propelled an uproar of protests across the country, with thousands echoing the man’s harrowing final words, “I can’t breathe” and “They’re going to kill me.”
Within hours, efforts to peacefully protest on behalf of the #BlackLivesMatter movement were undermined by subsequent acts of police brutality amidst the chaos. As thousands gathered across America to protest in a non-violent manner, law enforcement officers used tear gas and rubber bullets to disassemble the masses. In the wake of this extreme civic unrest, looting and vandalism, as well as egregious confrontations between protestors and law enforcement, became pivotal forms of protest. Although some view these violent protests as an ineffective tactic to equate people of the Black community, others believe it is the first real step to justice.
Justice will not be found through the countless reposts of a black tile on social media outlets for #BlackoutTuesday, nor through holding a sign while marching in one protest. Justice will only be served when it is demanded rather than asked for. Last year, the online publication The Ethical Unicorn published a piece written by Francesca Willow titled, Why Protests Are Necessary, Even When They Inconvenience People, where Willow discusses the deep-rooted meaning of the word “civility” and how it is misconceived by people living in our generation, and that civility does not have to mean peace.
“We associate civility with being polite, but at its heart, civility is deeply concerned with justice. To be civil is to care for your community, for your neighbor, for people you don’t know. To be civil is to be concerned with true equality, which means one must also be invested in the work of dismantling racism, homophobia, patriarchy, ableism, economic inequality, corruption, persecution of Indigenous peoples, violence, and more,” writes Willow.
As the murder of Floyd exhibits yet another example of unwarranted police brutality against Black Americans, the countless peaceful protests of the past clearly didn’t speak loud enough. In turn, this violent resistance might prove to be more impactful than the nonviolent kind. People are no longer asking America to make deep-rooted changes to its civil discourse – they are demanding it.
Now is the time to unite our voices – protesting the current racial injustice that prevails in America – to ensure justice will be served. In these violent protests, people are attempting to feel the pain felt by Floyd as his life was unjustly taken from him by someone whose duty is to save lives, not end them. Beyond the media broadcasting images of vandalism in which this violence is framed without good intent, the unfortunate reality is that people have held their tongue for far too long. People have tried to have a powerful voice without screaming. People have tried to march without stomping. People have tried to extinguish racial injustices without fueling racial fires. People have tried to rebuild America without dismantling it. People have tried to use tranquility without promoting violence. People have tried to be peaceful in the face of extreme oppression.
Our nonviolent tactics have failed us yet again – people are now in search of a remedy that will cure the existing racist mindsets in America that are the root of every tragedy during the #BlackLivesMatter movement. There needs to be permanent change rather than a fleeting spark of anger. People are tired. Tired of acting peacefully when violence is being inflicted upon our neighbors. Tired of creating hashtags that expire within days of a tragic and senseless death. Tired of the whispers and tired of the silence. We cannot afford history to repeat itself again. People are ready to be loud.
Below is a timeline of several main events comprising the #BlackLivesMatter movement. As many of these protests are peaceful, we begin to notice how history continues to repeat itself. Perhaps protests that are more unconventional and less peaceful have a louder voice that will hopefully create reform, equality, and restore peace in our country.
#BlackLivesMatter Movement Timeline:
February 26, 2012: Trayvon Martin, 17, is shot and killed by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman. Martin was visiting family in Sanford, Florida, when he had an altercation with Zimmerman while on his way home from a convenience store. After Zimmerman was initially not charged by Sanford Police, there was a public outcry demanding his arrest. A Million Hoodies For Justice is created to support the arrest of Zimmerman and a petition to arrest him receives 1.3 million signatures. After several protests, Zimmerman is charged with second-degree murder but is acquitted shortly after. #BlackLivesMatter officially begins. Rallies begin to take place across the country for Trayvon Martin including more than a 1000 person sit-in at Times Square. In 2016, Zimmerman goes on to sell the gun he used to kill the teen for $250,000.
November 23, 2012: Jordan Davis, 17, is shot at a gas station in Jacksonville, Florida. As Davis and his three friends visit a gas station to buy gum and cigarettes, they are approached by a white man, Michael Dunn, after a verbal argument about the volume of Davis’s music. Dunn shoots 10 rounds into their car, killing Davis. Micheal Dunn charged with first-degree murder and three counts of attempted murder and is sentenced to life in prison without parole. The #BlackLivesMatter hashtag started trending on social media. Davis’ death is the focus of a short documentary about the dangers young Black men face in America. The film was screened at the White House and won awards at the Sundance Film Festival.
November 2, 2013: Renisha McBride, 19, is shot dead in Detroit after a car accident. In the early morning, after McBride is involved in a car accident, she knocks on Theodore Wafer’s door, a white man living in a suburban neighborhood. Wafer fatally shoots her through his door. Mcbride’s supporters rally after her death and activists launch a campaign for justice. Wafer receives a 17-year sentence for second-degree murder and manslaughter. Wafer claims his actions were derived from “fear and self-defense.” A short film of the Detroit protests is created to spread awareness and demand justice for McBride.
July 17, 2014: Eric Garner, 43, is killed by NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo after being held in a chokehold on the side of the road in Staten Island, NY. A witness records the footage of Garner, a father, suffocating to death while repeatedly saying “I can’t breathe” before appearing lifeless. This phrase becomes a pivotal part of the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Hundreds gather in Brooklyn for Garner’s funeral, including his six children. Protests spark in NYC after a grand jury fails to indict the officer and over 2,500 people march on Staten Island in protest of Garner’s death. A grand jury claims it has “no reasonable cause” to charge Pantaleo, triggering more protests. Garner’s siblings lend their voices to a song called “I Can’t Breathe” released for the second anniversary of his death. Five years later, federal prosecutors decide they will not bring charges against Pantaleo.
August 5, 2014: John Crawford is killed by police at a Walmart in Ohio. He and his girlfriend were at the Walmart store to pick up crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate bars for a family gathering. A grand jury ruled there will be no indictment in the death of John Crawford.
August 9, 2014: Unarmed teenager Michael Brown is killed by Officer Darren Wilson outside of an apartment complex in Ferguson, Missouri. #BlackLivesMatter Freedom Fighters travel to Ferguson in support of protesters. Massive protests erupt in Ferguson relating to Brown’s death. Police teargas protesters while news from around the world covers the event. Protests break out in cities across the country supporting the Ferguson protests – Ferguson is declared to be in a state of emergency. Governor Nixon announces his plan to create the Ferguson Commission. The grand jury decides not to indict Officer Darren Wilson. Thousands of protesters march in Washington, DC, and Times Square after the verdict.
October 20, 2014: Laquan McDonald, 17, is shot 16 times in 13 seconds by police officer Jason Van Dyke after he refuses to drop a three-inch knife in Chicago. Footage of the incident is released prompting protests. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel fires the city’s police superintendent McCarthy over his handling of the shooting. Van Dyke is charged with murder.
November 23, 2014: 12-year-old Tamir Rice is seen pointing a toy gun at people passing by him. Police received a call that the gun is “probably fake,” but that is not relayed to the attending officers. Within seconds of arriving, police officer Timothy Loehmann fires two shots, hitting Rice in the torso. Rice dies the next day. A Cleveland grand jury declines to bring charges against the police officers.
April 4, 2015: Walter Scott sprints across an empty parking lot behind a pawn shop while trying to escape North Charleston officer Michael Slager, who had drawn his gun. The officer fired multiple rounds at Scott. Protests in North Charleston triggered an investigation. Slager was finally arrested and charged with murder.
April 18, 2015: Freddy Grey runs after seeing police in Baltimore, Maryland. The 25-year old is arrested for possessing what was described as an illegal switchblade. Requests for his inhaler are ignored. While being transported in a police van, he falls into a coma. He dies the next day. Demonstrators take to the streets and the National Guard is dispatched to restore order.
July 13, 2015: Sandra Bland, 28, is found dead in police custody in Texas. She had been pulled over for a minor traffic violation on July 10th.
November 16, 2015: Jamar Clark, 24, is shot in the head by police. #BlackLivesMatter protests outside of the Fourth Precinct police station for 18 days. No charges are filed against police officers Mark Ringenberg and Dustin Schwarze.
July 5, 2016: Two videos capture the moment Alton Sterling, 37, is pinned down to the ground and shot five times in the chest at close range by police outside a convenience store in Baton Rouge, LA. Police call for calm after major protests kick off in Baton Rouge. Federal authorities said they will handle the investigation led by the civil rights division.
July 6, 2016: Diamond Reynolds uses Facebook Live to stream her boyfriend Philandro Castile being shot by Minnesota police. He is allegedly shot by police while he was reaching for his wallet after being pulled over. Castle laters dies in the hospital. The video has been viewed more than 5.6 million times.
July 7, 2016: A peaceful demonstration turns to mayhem as a gunman shoots and kills five police officers in Dallas, TX. President Obama describes the attack as vicious, calculated, and despicable.
July 22, 2016: Unarmed Black man Charles Kinsey is shot and injured while lying on the ground with his arms raised in the air and pleading with officers to hold their fire. Kinsey was shot and injured in the leg, which occurred as he tried to help a disoriented autistic man who had wandered from a group home where Kinsey worked as a therapist.
March 18, 2018: Stephon Clark dies after being shot at least seven times in Sacramento, CA, by police officers who claimed to be investigating a break-in. The district attorney for the case said the police were innocent in this situation, as the officers said they feared for their lives, believing Clark was carrying a weapon. Only a cell phone was found at the scene. The video release of the incident sparked major protests in the city.
February 23, 2020: Ahmaud Arbery, a 25-year-old unarmed man, was shot to death by armed white residents of a coastal South Georgia neighborhood. Arbery was jogging on the neighborhood road when the incident occurred. No arrests were made until months later when the video of the incident was released online and Gregory McMichael and his son Travis McMichael were finally charged with murder as well as another person who was involved.
March 13, 2020: Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency medical technician, was fatally shot several times by police officers when they entered her apartment in Louisville, Kentucky. The police claimed to be implementing a search warrant as part of a drug raid, but no drugs were found. It was later discovered that they raided the wrong address. The officers involved have not been charged.
May 25, 2020: George Floyd dies after being arrested in Minneapolis and unjustly held down by police officers. Andrew Chauvin, one of the police officers, kneeled on Floyd’s neck for 8 whole minutes as Floyd begged for mercy and pleaded that he could not breathe. Protests break out across America. Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder, and the three other officers face charges of aiding and abetting murder.
The information listed above provides a timeline of significant events that have occurred during the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Sadly, the chronology is not a complete history of all senseless Black deaths as well as those at the hands of the police since the inception of the movement. With that said, this information provides an eye-opening, visceral account of how Black deaths, often perpetrated by police brutality since the beginning of the #BlackLivesMatter movement, erodes our societal norms and compromises our nation’s commitment to equality and justice for all.
There should not be a timeline this lengthy that reflects the deaths of innocent Black people due to racial injustice in our country. Read the timeline. Re-read the timeline. Read it again. It is hard to believe the sheer number of capital murders that preceded the latest protests in America regarding the death of George Floyd. Our country has tolerated these tragedies for far too long. History cannot continue to repeat itself. Diversity, inclusion, and hope will help start the healing process. But, good intentions are not enough. This time around, actions must speak louder than empty promises.
This timeline of never-ending Black deaths must end today – it’s time to be heard.
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