The Black Lives Matter movement has been nominated for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize, reports Axios.com. The reason provided is that the organization worked to compel countries to address systemic racism.
The BLM movement launched in 2013 following George Zimmerman’s acquittal for shooting Trayvon Martin, an unarmed Black teenager. The case kickstarted the international movement to address the controversial deaths of Black people, particularly at the hands of police.
The group has “been able to mobilize people from all groups of society, not just African-Americans, not just oppressed people … in a way which has been different from their predecessors,” Nobel nominator Norwegian MP Petter Eide.
The BLM movement was co-founded by Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi. The mission spread in the years thereafter as protesters denounced police killings of Black Americans, including Michael Brown and Eric Garner. BLM amplified calls for justice last year after law enforcement officers killed George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, resulting in mass protests in the U.S. and other cities around the world.
“It’s a strong linkage between antiracism movements and peace, and a recognition that without this kind of justice, there will be no peace and stability in the society,” Eide said. He dismissed criticism that BLM is violent, citing data that shows 93 percent of Black Lives Matter demonstrations have not caused harm to people or society.
“Awarding the peace prize to Black Lives Matter, as the strongest global force against racial injustice, will send a powerful message that peace is founded on equality, solidarity and human rights, and that all countries must respect those basic principles,” Eide concluded.
