Figure 6.1a Portland protests for Black Lives Matter: Day 58 [YouTube Video] (4:01 minutes)

Figure 6.1b 100 days of Protest in Portland [YouTube Video]. This video is 20 minutes, but please watch at least the first 10 minutes. You may or may not have participated in a Black Lives Matter protest. As we begin this topic, let’s see for ourselves what some of these protests looked like. Our opening question: When you hear “Black Lives Matter” what do you think?

“Social movements are not marginal to society. They are social engines of social change.” – Aldon Morris

In the summer of 2020, Portland, Oregon was one of many cities across the U.S. that erupted in nightly protests. The civil unrest in Portland continued for more than 100 days and captured national attention. These ongoing demonstrations of outrage and dissent amplified critical narratives about policing and racism that continue to shape public policy in the city. To see highlights of the demonstrations, take a few minutes to watch the videos in figure 6.1.

In this chapter we consider these protests within the context of the Black Lives Matter movement (BLM) as a case study of how social movements can drive social change. We will trace out a history of BLM organizing within a broader movement to reimagine safe communities. Finally, we will consider claims that policing can be considered a racist response to the social problems associated with communities that have been historically under-resourced and under-represented in the U.S.

Community organizing mobilizes volunteers with shared interests and concerns to make social changes in their home community. We will get to know Alicia Garza, Ayo Tometi, and Patrice Cullors, and learn how these powerhouse community organizers built a platform that has transformed the global conversation about racism, policing and the value of Black lives. We will also consider the theoretical and activist lineages of #BLM to reveal organizing traditions with roots in the emancipatory sociology of W.E.B. DuBois and the civil rights movement of the mid 20th Century. We will also investigate a bold abolitionist vision for a world where all lives are better because all Black lives truly matter.

6.1.1 Focusing Questions

Here are some questions to consider as you work through this chapter:

• How do we apply the social problems process to better understand the history of Black Lives Matter?
• How is Black Lives Matter (BLM) both a revolutionary response and a continuation of an ongoing struggle for equality?
• Why are some people more likely than others to be considered criminals because of their gender, race and ethnicity, social class, age, or other aspect of their social locations?
• How are race and racism socially constructed?
• Which theoretical approach is most compelling in understanding the effectiveness of the Black Lives Matter social movement?
• How does the Black Lives Matter movement respond to the problems of under-resourced communities with interdependence, personal agency, collective action, and resilance?