It has become more than a hashtag. Certainly in 2020 The Black Lives Matter campaign reached every corner of the globe, when images of the brutal murder of George Floyd by US police officers outraged viewers all over the world.Â
In the UK the campaign prompted the removal of a statue memorializing the slave trader, Edward Colston in Bristol. It led to a wider discussion about the reappraisal of British history and historical figures. Arguably, the Black Lives Matter movement has influenced current protests by young Nigerians to end the excessive force and corruption associated with the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, a controversial Nigerian Police Unit.
Co Creator of the Black Lives Matter Global Network, Alicia Garza, will be discussing these events and the publication of her new book, The Purpose of Power, during an exclusive online event presented by the Southbank Centre in partnership with Penguin Live.Â
Garcia will shed light on her experiences of nearly twenty years as a political activist and organiser and how she helped to transform Black communities by building power at local and national levels.
Garza has said that, “hashtags don’t build movements. People do’. In the live streamed event released on 29th October, Garza will reflect on the success of the online campaign; how it grew into a global movement and inspired people to take action to ensure Black Lives Matter.
Alicia Garza will be in conversation with radio presenter Leah Davis during a live streamed event from 29th October to 5th November.
For more information visit: southbankcentre.co.uk