Cultural Influence On Black Lives Matter

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Black Lives Matter and its Cultural Influence
Originating in 2012, the political movement known under the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter has exploded in size and renown. This movement, which was initially inspired after a police officer was acquitted of all charges after fatally shooting an African American individual, seeks to diminish police brutality against African American individuals and systemic racism particularly in the United States. Sweeping the nation, Black Lives Matter has become an international movement and its influence has only increased with time.
The Black Lives Matter movement finds itself at a unique place on the cultural triad, which is essentially the cultural crossroads between race/ethnicity/nationality, socioeconomic class, …show more content…

First #AltonSterling and then this video of #PhilandoCastile being brutally killed. This. Must. Stop," Additionally, Timberlake tweeted, "This IS systemic. We MUST DO BETTER. My heart goes out to the families of #AltonSterling and #PhilandoCastile. May they both Rest In Peace.” While clearly expressing his support for the movement, Timberlake also explains the issues he has with American society that provoke his support for the Black Lives Matter movement, namely police brutality and systemic racism. The acts of violence that have beset multiple African American individuals in this country have incurred the support of people from all manner of racial backgrounds, including Timberlake, who is notably …show more content…

Early in this essay, Omi expresses his perspective using objective reasoning as he writes, “Decades after the passage of civil rights legislation and the affirmation of the principle of ‘equal opportunity,’ patterns of racial segregation and exclusion, it seems, continue to characterize the production of popular music.” (Omi 539). With this quote, Omi introduces the idea that racial segregation and/or racial exclusion still exists within modern popular music. Although #BlackLivesMatter has a focus on police brutality, it still aims to fend off any form of racism to ultimately further the idea that the lives of African American individuals matter as much as everyone else’s. Omi goes on to list a few examples of people who justify discrimination against African American individuals on the basis of biological differences. After this, Omi writes, “These examples highlight the overt manifestations of racism in popular culture — institutional forms of discrimination which keep racial minorities out of the production and organization of popular culture, and the crude racial caricatures by which these groups are portrayed.” (Omi 540). With this quote, Omi is introducing the idea that racism can come in more

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