Introduction to Book

The seminal court case, State of Florida v. George Zimmerman, was both controversial and polarizing along racial, ethnic, and political lines. On July 13, 2013, George Zimmerman was acquitted of all charges of the tragic death of Trayvon Martin. Both infuriated and distressed by the verdict, Alicia Garza of Oakland, California, posted a social media message on her Facebook page containing the hashtag, “#BlackLivesMatter.” Her post became the impetus of the Black Lives Matter movement. The #BlacksLivesMatter hashtag emerged as a widespread social media emblem used to draw attention to present-day experiences of bigotry, racism, and discrimination encountered by Blacks.