The Making of Black Lives Matter: A Brief History of an Idea, Updated Edition

The #BlackLivesMatter movement is a powerful and incendiary campaign demanding redress for the brutal and unjustified treatment of black bodies by law enforcement in the United States. This book provides a condensed and accessible intellectual history of the movement and expands on its relevancy, drawing on the work of revolutionary black public intellectuals and activists. It clarifies what it means to assert that Black Lives Matter and highlights the crucial difference between the problem signaled by the social media hashtag and how we ought to address it. Radical sensibility requires us to become cognizant of the history of black thought and activism in order to make sense of the emotions, demands, and arguments of present-day activists and public thinkers and to pursue the idea of racial progress in America.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 14 September 2023
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

The #BlackLivesMatter movement, which began in response to George Zimmerman's acquittal in the death of Trayvon Martin in 2013, has emerged as a potent and controversial campaign advocating for the rectification of the brutal and unjustified treatment of black bodies by law enforcement in the United States. While the movement is relatively young, its underlying sentiment is rooted in a much older and more profound tradition that advocates for the equal dignity and recognition of black people, rather than merely equal rights.

In this revised edition of "The Making of Black Lives Matter," author Christopher J. Lebron offers a concise and accessible intellectual history of the movement, while also expanding on its relevance in the contemporary context. The book includes a new introduction that examines how the movement's core ideas have been challenged, reaffirmed, and reimagined during the era of white nationalism under the Trump administration. Additionally, a new chapter explores the ideas and contributions of Angela Davis and Amiri Baraka, two influential figures in the Black Power Movement and Black Arts Movement, respectively.

Drawing on the insights and writings of these revolutionary black public intellectuals, as well as figures such as Frederick Douglass, Ida B. Wells, Langston Hughes, Zora Neal Hurston, Anna Julia Cooper, Audre Lorde, James Baldwin, and Martin Luther King Jr., Lebron clarifies the meaning of asserting that Black Lives Matter in the face of contemporary instances of anti-black law enforcement. He also highlights the crucial distinction between the principles of Black Lives Matter and other movements that seek to address racial inequality, such as Black Power and the Civil Rights Movement.

"The Making of Black Lives Matter" is a valuable resource for anyone seeking to understand the historical roots and contemporary implications of the #BlackLivesMatter movement. It provides a comprehensive analysis of the movement's origins, key ideas, and challenges, while also offering insights into the broader social and political landscape in which it operates. By exploring the ideas and contributions of these influential black thinkers and activists, the book helps to shed light on the ongoing struggle for racial justice and equality in the United States.

Weight: 294g
Dimension: 139 x 210 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780197577356