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What Is Black Lives Matter?

VOA News

   Attention has been called to the Black Lives Matter movement by
   Blackout Tuesday -- in which the music and other industries in the
   United States this week protested the death of George Floyd and other
   African Americans by shutting down for 8 minutes and 46 seconds -- the
   length of time Floyd was held to the ground with a policeman's knee on
   his neck.

   This statement against racial injustice has largely been associated
   with the Black Lives Matter movement, which began in July 2013 when
   George Zimmerman was acquitted of fatally shooting Trayvon Martin, a
   17-year-old unarmed black teenager.

   [1]Martin was killed by Zimmerman as he was walking from a convenience
   store to his father's home in Sanford, Florida, where he was visiting.
   Zimmerman, a self-proclaimed neighborhood watchman, called the local
   police department, mentioned there had been burglaries in the
   neighborhood, and said he observed "a real suspicious guy" who was "up
   to no good."

   The police dispatcher told Zimmerman his security services were not
   needed, but Zimmerman still left his vehicle, leading to a violent
   confrontation between himself and Martin. Zimmerman fatally shot Martin
   at close range and later claimed to police Martin assaulted him and he
   shot Martin in self-defense, the basis of his acquittal.

References

   1. https://www.voanews.com/usa/explainer-trayvon-martin-verdict

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