You might think that the civil rights movement ended in the 1960s, but America is still a deeply divided country. In recent years, thanks to high profile cases of racially motivated police brutality such as George Floyd, Black Lives Matter has become a global movement.
So in this episode, we explore what it is, why now, and what this means for the US, as we ask... what challenge does Black Lives Matter represent to America?
This week's guest:
- Dr. Nicholas Grant, a historian of twentieth century United States and author of 'Winning Our Freedoms Together: African Americans and Apartheid, 1945-1960.' His research focuses on race, internationalism and transnational activism.
Key talking points:
- The history of Black Lives Matter, from the first raised fist at the 1968 Olympics to the formation of Black Lives Matter in 2013.
- George Floyd really made BLM a key issue of public interest and garnered worldwide attention, so is Black Lives Matter just an American movement anymore?
- What does the proliferation of the BLM movement in the last ten years tell us about America?
- One of the key arguments from the critics of BLM is that all lives matter. So why is Black Lives Matter only about Black Lives?
Additional resources:
WEBSITE: Black Lives Matter
If you enjoy this podcast, you might also like:
What Do We Get Wrong About the Civil Rights Movement?
What Challenge Does Black Lives Matter Present to America?
What is the Civil Rights Act?
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This episode is sponsored by What's Your Map
What's Your Map is the British Podcast Award-winning show from map expert Professor Jerry Brotton. In each episode, he invites a special guest to share a map that means something to them. It's a fascinating show, and you can listen to the new season right now: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/whats-your-map/id1766500219
