This final essay was submitted on April 26, 2022 for my Religion, Politics, and Society course.
The Black Lives Matter movement in the United States is an ongoing social movement that tackles the issue of systematic racism against African Americans. Many compare Black Lives Matter to the civil rights movement of the 1960s, which found major success in changing segregation laws in the United States. The success of the civil rights movement shifted the perception of social movements in academia: while previous assumptions about social movements considered them to be spontaneous, irrational, and disorganized in nature, the civil rights movement instigated change through exceptional leadership, coordinated protests, and structured organization (Clayton 452). As a result, the civil rights movement serves as ground zero for much of the prevailing theories on social mobilization. This paper will explore the mobilization tactics that were defined by aspects from the civil rights movement and compare it with aspects from the Black Lives Matter movement. Despite the fact that Black Lives Matter and the civil rights movement both ultimately seek freedom, justice, and equality for African Americans, the movements differ from one another in their distinct mobilization tactics.
Movement Goals & Messages
The overarching goal of the civil rights movement was to initiate change in the institutionalised system of racial segregation that was believed to preserve and encourage discrimination and inequality towards Black Americans. In order to accomplish this on a national scale, the movement sought to disrupt local institutions that enforced segregation to force the leaders of these institutions to concede to the demand for desegregation (Morris 623). It was equally important for the movement to maintain a nonviolent approach, which entailed that the movement’s impact would be achieved through strength in numbers rather than destruction and violence. In order to disrupt social order nonviolently, it was key for the movement to mobilize thousands of people into collective action. Thus, the movement sought to appeal to the masses with inclusive messages (Clayton 474). The philosophy of nonviolence founded in Christian beliefs of “loving your enemy” generated a message of love, acceptance, justice, and mercy for all. Moreover, Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech emphasizes the goal of unifying all of America in order to progress the nation towards achieving its potential greatness.
Black Lives Matter has the overarching goal of “black humanity”, seeking institutional change in areas where discrimination and unequal treatment of Black Americans remains prevalent. In particular, the movement is concerned with criminal justice and law enforcement institutions after multiple Black people were unjustifiably killed by White police officers and the underwhelming ramifications that resulted from such actions. The movement thus proclaims anti-police messaging, which has often led peaceful protests to take a violent turn as police enforcement and activists clash (Clayton 454). It seems inherent to the movement’s anti-police message to resist the law and order enforced by police forces, resulting in militant and destructive efforts. Converse to the civil rights movement’s message of love for all, Black Lives Matter expresses hate and retribution towards the institutional powers that have made little to no effort to change the discriminatory behaviour residing within its system. Members of the movement encourage the physical destruction of public buildings and businesses, going as far as to advocate for “dead cops” in order to emphasize the rejection of the status quo (458). Converse to the hate portrayed by their protests, the movement aims to give those in minority positions, such as women, transgender, and queer people, an opportunity to initiate change and have a voice. Many activists of the Black Lives Matter movement are thus members of minority groups (475).
Leadership Styles
The different campaigns of the civil rights movement featured highly coordinated and organised efforts made possible by its leadership system. The nonviolent approach of the movement consisted of boycotts, protests, and sit-ins, most of which lasted months at a time and often required coordinated activity and a large mass of participants to ensure a high impact. The congregationalist system already in place at black churches provided low-level self-governance that gave the masses a sense of autonomy. Church pastorship was one of few leadership positions available for African Americans during this time, and this position was controlled by the congregation. This resulted in a movement that seems to truly be powered by the people without compromising the high-level of organization needed to execute boycotts and protests (Morris 629). The hierarchical organization of the civil rights movement also allowed for young activists to be properly trained, retaining a shared sense of purpose between members while also teaching tactics to remain composure when confronted with fierce opposition (Clayton 461). The movement implemented a strategy of “respectability politics”, where the Black community attempted to portray social values that were compatible with mainstream values. The ability to retain a philosophy of nonviolence throughout the different campaigns of the movement emphasized the idea that African Americans were respectable people and not much different from mainstream Americans (ibid.).
Black Lives Matter conversely rejects the hierarchical, male-dominated leadership style of the civil rights movement, instead promoting a decentralized, unstructured, and bottom-up nature. Rather than being controlled under one centralized authority, the movement encourages activists from across the country to engage in grassroots organizing in their local communities. In this way Black Lives Matter portrays a grassroots effort powered by ordinary people, and its decentralized style gives way for the intersectionality of African Americans—pertaining to gender, sexuality, citizenship status, social class—to be emphasized in movement efforts (Clayton 459). However, the unstructured nature of the movement risks significant dissonance between the intended messages and the actual actions of those present at campaigns. Many have criticized Black Lives Matter for lacking the structure and leadership needed in order to make impacts that progresses the movement forward. The extreme, violent, destructive, and chaotic actions seen in protests seem to either outshine the intentions of legitimate activists or give the impression that the movement is misguided in its entirety (457). The lack of defined leadership and organization in a nation-wide movement ultimately produces mixed messages and unclear motivations.
Issue Framing
Social movement scholars use the term “framing” to refer to the construction of meaning behind the active efforts of social movements (Benford & Snow 614). The framing of key issues ultimately determines the principles the movement is grounded upon, and the power and longevity of the movement is highly dependent on the expansiveness or constraint of the framing (Clayton 463). The civil rights movement achieved a “master frame” that grounded their issues with racial segregation in core democratic and Christian values that appealed to the wider American audience. King’s public speeches commonly tied the problems faced by the African American community with fundamental democratic ideals of equality, freedom and justice for all. The issues of the civil rights movement were framed in a way that expressed conflict with the founding principles of the nation, resonating with the integral beliefs of American people (463; 474). Christian themes were likewise emphasized in King’s speeches and in the movement’s nonviolent approach, reassuring the White American population that their transgressions would be met with forgiveness rather than resentment and violence (463). The efforts of the movement were understood to be motivated by familiar democratic and Christian beliefs, drawing in support from people and politicians outside of the African American community.
Black Lives Matter alternatively challenges mainstream values in their framing, advocating for alternative values that question the status quo. The slogan “Black Lives Matter” emphasizes the disproportionately inadequate treatment of African Americans in mainstream society. The lived experiences of Black Americans and the ongoing systematic racism are generally undermined in mainstream America, thus the movement frames their issues as people from the bottom finally speaking up on their grievances (Clayton 461). In challenging the status quo, the issues of Black Lives Matter have yet to appeal to mainstream America. In its extreme defiance, Black Lives Matter exudes a message that excludes those outside the movement who either appreciate the order brought by the law enforcement, or do not appreciate the level of public violence and destruction the movement has incurred. By framing the movement as an opportunity for minority groups to have a voice and initiate change, the majority of Americans find difficulty to resonate with the cause enough to actively support its efforts. The movement has yet to achieve a master frame that allows for other groups outside of the African American population to express their own causes and concerns within the borders of Black Lives Matter, preventing collective action towards change (474).
Work Cited
Aldon Morris, The Origins of the Civil Rights Movement: Black Communities Organizing for Change (selections).
Dewey M. Clayton "Black Lives Matter and the Civil Rights Movement: A Comparative Analysis of Two Social Movements in the United States," Journal of Black Studies (2018).
Comments