![]() ![]() Huge protests erupted in major cities across France, Italy, Spain and Germany. The BLM movement of 2020 began in the US but the demand that black lives should matter resonated across the world, often reflecting injustices specific to geographical contexts. From the Tories’ invocation of “culture wars” and criticism of “wokeness” to their attempts to deny the existence of institutional racism, the impact of the BLM movement can be seen in the need felt by the political elite and right-wing forces to challenge its arguments and seek to reverse its gains. The right’s response to the movement is not just greater repression, but also comes in the form of ideological attacks. 7 The Tories have also increased repression against protesters through the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act, which threatens ten-year jail sentences for destroying statues-a direct response to BLM protesters toppling a monument to 18th century slave owner Edward Colston in Bristol. 6 In Britain, the Conservative Party government responded to BLM with the report of the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities, a discredited document that denies the existence of institutional racism. The US state deliberately manipulated the legal system to ensure Black Lives Matter protesters received harsh prosecutions under federal laws. The intensity of the backlash to the movement is testimony to the extent to which the establishment feel threatened by BLM. Though the scale of mobilisations inevitably declined, their impact is still felt in a renewed confidence to challenge racism in many spheres of public life. BLM influenced all areas of social and political life, including sports, culture, education and corporate activity. 5 However, the impact of the movement went far beyond the specifics of the Floyd case. In June 2021, Chauvin was sentenced to jail for 22 and a half years-quite an achievement given the long history of US police officers escaping punishment for violence against black people. The movement also achieved one of its primary stated goals: the conviction of Derek Chauvin, the white police officer who killed Floyd. For example, just one month after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota sparked the movement, polls recorded a major shift in opinion in the US, with the number of people saying that racial and ethnic discrimination is a big problem jumping from 51 percent in January 2015 to 76 percent (including 71 percent of white people) in June 2020. ![]() There is no doubt that the 2020 BLM movement rapidly and dramatically shifted the political terrain around issues of racism. ![]() It addresses the history and character of BLM and highlights specific debates that have emerged in the struggle that pose strategic and political questions for the movement. This article seeks to defend the movement’s achievements while also considering some of its weaknesses and tensions. Yet, criticism has also come from some on the left for instance, black US scholar Cedric Johnson has argued that BLM is essentially a bulwark for neoliberalism, and former Black Panther Elaine Brown has dismissed BLM as merely a slogan rather than an effective movement. Unsurprisingly, the right has retaliated against the movement with an ideological and political backlash aimed at undermining and repressing it. 2 However, two years on, the legacy and significance of BLM are increasingly contested. 1 It represented the largest social movement in the history of the United States and forced discussions about racism onto the agenda globally. The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement of 2020 was arguably the most inspiring movement against racism in recent decades. ![]()
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