Black Lives Matter
Body cameras
A tool used to record everything a police officer sees on duty. Some advocate for wider use of body cameras, but they haven't been proven to reduce shootings.
Freddie Gray
a 25-year old Black man from Baltimore, MD, who was killed of a severed spine due to rough treatment during his arrest and transportation to police station. His death resulted in widespread protests and riots in Baltimore in 2015.
Movement for Black Lives
a broad coalition of groups who identify with Black Lives Matter, who came together to create a platform for action in 2016.
hashtag
a symbol (#) to mark keywords or topics in a message.
Civilian oversight
institutions that include diverse community members in decisions in police practices, discipline, and hiring.
Police-involved shooting
Any incident where police officers shoot a civilian.
Trayvon Martin
17-year old Florida Black man who was killed in 2012 by George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch captain. The Florida police decline to indict Zimmerman based for 6 months on "Stand Your Ground" laws, when eventually prosecuted due to public attention, Zimmerman was acquitted.
Michael Brown
18-year old Black teenager who was shot by a white police officer in Ferguson, MO, outside of St. Louis. His death resulted in widespread protests and riots in St. Louis and Ferguson in 2014.
Watts riots
1965 riots in Los Angeles, the day after the signing of the Voting Rights Act, in response to a police brutality case.
Dallas shooting
2016 sniper attack that killed 5 and injured 9 law enforcement officers during a BLM march. The shooter said he sympathized with BLM, but most BLM leaders denounced the shooting.
All Lives Matter
A common response to early uses of "Black Lives Matter," arising from the belief that BLM believed Black lives matter more than others.
Blue Lives Matter
A hashtag used by opponents of Black Lives Matter who believe that criticism of police officers has resulted in more danger to police.
Black Lives Matter
A movement responding to a disproportionately large number of blacks killed by police, started as a twitter hashtag after Trayvon Martin was shot in 2012.
DeRay McKesson
Baltimore-based activist who helped organize Black Lives Matter
Hands up, Don't shoot
Chant used by Black Lives Matter activists to protest police-involved shootings of unarmed Blacks, based on reports that police shot Michael Brown with his hands up.
"No refuge could save the hireling and slave From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave"
Line from the 3rd verse of the Star Spangled Banner, about treatment of Black slaves who escaped to the British Army during the War of 1812
Patrisse Cullors
Los Angeles-based activist who helped start the hastag #BlackLivesMatter and activist group it named after it.
Ferguson, MO
Mostly black suburb of St. Louis, and the place where Michael Brown was shot by Officer Darren Wilson. The aftermath of the shooting and decision to not indict Wilson resulted in large scale protests, and some violence and rioting. Police were criticized for their use of military equipment in dealing with protestors.
Colin Kaepernick
NFL quarterback who created a storm of controversy when he refused to stand for the national anthem during the 2016 NFL season in solidarity with Black Lives Matter
"A riot is the language of the unheard"
Quote from Martin Luther King Jr. about why black protest sometimes results in riots
White privilege
The state of having relative advantage and opportunity because of the one's White skin color.
