“Black Lives Matter” Movement In The “Post-Racial” America

The historical period from the 1950 s to the 1970 s witnessed the surge of black social movements in America.The Civil Rights Movement,Black Power Movement,and Black Arts Movement,played important roles in eliminating institutional racism,achieving equal citizenship,and constructing Black identity.Since America entered the post-civil rights era,African Americans have achieved visible progress in the fields of politics,economy,and culture.Barack Obama's election as president of US in 2008 is regarded to have heralded a “post-racial” American society.Since then,the idea and discourse of “post-racialism” have become prevalent in American society.However,despite the black progress,there had been continuing inequality and racial injustice pervading the country.The old Jim Crow racism comes to an end,while institutional racism still exists and grows in America.Continued violence and oppression against black people has brought about a rebirth of activism,embodied by the “Black Lives Matter”(BLM)movement,an activist movement follows previous black movements to fight against racial discrimination and police violence.Some media describe the BLM protests as the “new Civil Rights Movement” in the post-Civil Rights era.Based on the existing scholarship on BLM and the history of black social movements,the thesis attempts to clarify the movement as a whole in the context of post-racialism.In Chapter One,the thesis examines the basic ideologies of BLM,focusing on the concept,objectives,principles,and strategies.In Chapter Two,the thesis traces the historical roots of BLM.In Chapter Three,the thesis discusses its mechanism and practical actions in criminal justice,electoral politics,and social activism.In Chapter Four,the thesis explicates how BLM challenges the post-racial discourse,and the conflict exposes the racial dilemma in contemporary American society.The central argument of this thesis is: “Black Lives Matter” is a nascent black movement fighting for their human rights and against systemic racism.It mainly focuses on criminal injustice and police brutality against black people and centralizes disadvantaged communities,such as black women and sexual minorities.It not only inherits the political and cultural legacies of past black movements and activists but also contains new,unique styles and creativity.The BLM movement challenges the post-racial discourse that has been prevalent in America,breaks the myth of a “post-racial” America,and triggers an extensive public conversation about racial inequality across the country.