Do you know what BLM stands for and how it is used? This article will teach you various meanings of the term BLM & the history of the BLM movement.
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Kevin
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February 11, 2022
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What Does BLM Stand For?
According to The Wall Street Journal and Library of Congress, BLM stands for Black Lives Matter. This is an activist movement that is dedicated to ending systemic racism and violence toward Black people and African-Americans.
This movement protests many different acts of brutality and police killings/shooting deaths, such as when Trayvon Martin was shot in Sanford, Florida and the subsequent acquittal of George Zimmerman, and the George Floyd murder by Derek Chauvin, a Minneapolis police officer.
This movement does more than just protest when people are shot by law enforcement. They are dedicated to promoting human rights, fighting racial injustice, the liberation of minority groups, and the celebration of Black joy, dignity, and innovation. While this group is often perceived as violent and hateful by conservative right-wing white people, they are not defined as a hate group. Black Lives Matter is dedicated to fighting for equity as well as to stopping the killings of innocent Black people by the people who are in the police force or other areas of law enforcement.
The Beginnings of the Black Lives Matter Movement
The Black Lives Matter movement began as a hashtag, #blacklivesmatter, following the civil unrest and protests in Ferguson, Missouri. The people who created the hashtag are Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi. They expanded the online social movement against police brutality and in support of Black communities that only existed on social media into a national movement that participates in protests and demonstrations all across the United States, Canada, and beyond.
Today, Black Lives Matter can still be seen on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. However, this global organization fights against racial injustice and racial inequality in the form of Black Lives Matter protests, in-person demonstrations, and more. As long as Black people are still being unfairly shot and killed by police, and as long as there is still racial inequity and white supremacy, the Black Lives Matter movement will continue fighting for justice.
The People BLM Fight For
There have been numerous murders of different Black people by law enforcement in recent years. This is just a selection of the people that the BLM movement is fighting for. They advocate for justice for the deceased as well as trying to prevent future deaths by police and law enforcement officers.
- Alton Sterling
- Eric Garner
- Michael Brown
- Trayvon Martin
- George Floyd
- Ezell Ford
- Laquan McDonald
- Samuel DuBose
- Akai Gurley
- Freddie Gray
- Jonathan Ferrell
- Jeremy McDole
- Sandra Bland
- Walter Scott
- Tamir Rice
- Philando Castile
- John Crawford
- Eric Harris
What Are Other Meanings of BLM?
If you are hearing the term BLM in a context where people are discussing racial justice or equality, then BLM will probably stand for Black Lives Matter. However, if the conversation you are in is on another topic entirely, then it is likely that BLM may be standing for something else in this context.
If you are confused by what someone means by the term BLM, don’t be afraid to ask them to define the term they are using. You wouldn’t want to assume that someone means Black Lives Matter when they really bean Block Learn Multiplier, for example! Additionally, if you are going to use BLM to stand for something other than Black Lives Matter, ensure that you provide proper context and define your terminology if needed.
- Baseball League Manager
- Berrymans Lace Mawer (law firm; UK)
- Bormla (postal locality, Malta)
- Bilayer Lipid Membrane
- Boundary-Layer Meteorology
- Black Mage (Final Fantasy; gaming)
- Bank Loan Modification
- Black Latino Male
- Beam Loss Monitor
- Brand Lifecycle Management (various industries)
- Bachelor of Labour Management
- Border Liaison Mechanism (US government)
- Behavioral Language Model (computer science)
- Bloom Syndrome
- Bottom Line Management (various locations)
- Bayerische Landeszentrale für Neue Medien
- Bergbahn Lauterbrunnen-Mürren (Swiss railway)
- Business Logistics Management
- Biotic Ligand Model (metal toxicity predictive tool)
- Block Learn Multiplier
- Black Marlin
- Bureau of Land Management (US government)
- BloodMage (gaming)
- Bleomycin
Other Racial Equity Terms
If you are in a discussion or conversation about racial equality and equity, it is likely that you will hear many other terms besides Black Lives Matter. It is always important to be educated on the terminology that a group may be used to discuss racial equity. You can learn many different terms that are related to fighting racial injustice in this glossary.
- Decolonization
- White Supremacy Culture
- Racist Ideas
- Individual Racism
- Systemic Racism
- Assimilationist
- Multicultural Competency
- Structural Racism
- Institutional Racism
- Cultural Appropriation
- Racial and Ethnic Identity
- Race
- Racial Healing
- BIPOC
- Internalized Racism
- Racist Policies
- Racism
- Anti-Racist Ideas
- Oppression
- Anti-Racism
- White Privilege
- Racial Inequity
- Racial Reconciliation
- Indigeneity
- Implicit Bias
- Xenophobia
- Racist
- Culture
- Racial Identity Development Theory
- Privilege
- Social Oppression
- Collusion
- Racial Capitalism
- Diversity
- Accountability
- Targeted Universalism
- Intersectionality
- Prejudice
- Reparations
- Racialization
Overall, BLM most often stands for Black Lives Matter. Black Lives Matter is a movement that advocates for the equality of the Black community, fights against racial injustice, and protests against police brutality and white supremacy. This group can be seen both online and in person at protests, demonstrations, and more.
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