Ariel view of Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington, DC
This guide provides resources related to research on Black American families as an outgrowth of the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Use the menu on the side of the page to navigate through different topics.
The Black Lives Matter movement grew out of Black resistance to systemic racism and brutality committed disproportionately against Black communities by both law enforcement and those acting in the name of law enforcement. In 2012, George Zimmerman shot and killed unarmed 17 year old Florida teen Trayvon Martin, sparking a national outcry. The Black Lives Matter movement can be traced back to Zimmerman's murder of Trayvon Martin, with #BlackLivesMatter being used across social media sites to talk about this tragedy. Activist Patrisse Cullors is cited as the creator of #BlackLivesMatter, and went on to found the formal organization along with Alicia Garza and Ayọ Tometi (formerly Opal Tometi).
Black Lives Matter currently exists as both a decentralized network of like-minded organizations and a general social movement, though the Black Lives Matter organization as headed by Cullors, Garza, and Tometi, does provide a list of shared priorities and goals that work toward an anti-racist future through policy and societal change.
The information in this guide includes research that sheds light on the systemic disenfranchisement of Black Americans, especially as it affects the Black Family. You will find both original research from peer-reviewed journals as well special reports from Child Trends, taken from the "100 Year Review of Research on Black Families".