Black Lives Matter Wins Global Peace Prize for Championing Justice and Equality

[DonViejo]

Source: Newsweek



BY CRISTINA SILVA ON 5/31/17 AT 10:02 AM

The Black Lives Matter social justice movement has been recognized with a global peace prize that in the past has highlighted the work of South African civil rights activist Desmond Tutu, renowned philosopher Noam Chomsky and former Irish President Mary Robinson.

The Sydney Peace Foundation announced last week it will give Black Lives Matter its 2017 peace prize during a ceremony scheduled in November for Sydney. The award recognizes the work of the founding leaders of the social justice activist network, Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza and Opal Tometi, who began working together after Florida neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman was acquitted in 2013 in the shooting death of black teen Trayvon Martin.

"This is the first time that a movement and not a person has been awarded the peace prize—a timely choice. Climate change is escalating fast, increasing inequality and racism are feeding divisiveness, and we are in the middle of the worst refugee crisis since World War II. Yet many establishment leaders across the world stick their heads in the sand or turn their backs on justice, fairness and equality," the Sydney Peace Foundation said in announcing the award.

Black Lives Matter has sometimes been accused by critics of stirring racist division and violence, while organizers and supporters, including former President Barack Obama, have praised the activists for highlighting police brutality, economic inequality and other societal woes in the aftermath of the 2014 police shooting of Michael Brown, 18, in Ferguson, Missouri, and other violence.

Read more: http://www.newsweek.com/black-lives-matter-wins-global-peace-prize-championing-justice-and-equality-618217

[SunSeeker]

1. Meanwhile, BLM is vilified here by the Candycorn Skidmark.*

*Credit to TheFerret for the latest Trump moniker.

[Blue_Tires]

2. So... At the top of a news story about BLM getting an award

Newsweek attaches a clip of Bill Motherfucking O'Reilly spewing bullshit for three minutes?

[BumRushDaShow]

3. That's their idea of "balance"

choosing a racist hard core sexual assaulter and harasser with an irrelevant and meaningless point of view.

[murielm99]

4. I am having a good laugh

at all the people who came to DU to smear and vilify BLM in their early days.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

5. Remember "Women's Lives Matter"? April 2004,

I remember seeing posters, "Women's Lives Matter" back then. I can't find those pics in a google search now, but I remember it because it meant a lot when I saw it.

For some reason , *coff*cultural, internalized sexism*coff*, that phrase never gained traction for women, and apparently has been forgotten.

The many threats globally and here in the U.S. against Women's lives don't get nearly enough attention. Action and legislation protecting Women against Hate crimes, femicide, and terrorism against Women and our particular needs are still an afterthought, or revoked entirely.

Now, Black Lives Matter has work to do to equally call attention to, respect and mourn the lives of Black Women murdered (and raped) by police.

The March for Women's Lives was a demonstration held on 25 April 2004 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. protesting the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act and other restrictions on abortion. March organizers estimated that 1.15 million people participated, declaring it "the largest protest in U.S. history";[1] others estimated no more than 800,000 marchers,[2] with the Associated Press and the BBC putting the figure between 500,000 and 800,000,

[whathehell]

7. Thank you for remembering

You are correct -- Women are always the LAST to be remembered.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

9. Thanks for noticing this, wth.

President Obama (and VP Biden) is the only president who took Women's Lives seriously, spoke publicly about our issues, and looked at our rights as a priority.

[Equinox Moon]

6. Fantastic! Congratulations BLM!

[riversedge]

8. Great honor for them. Congrats

[Scurrilous]

10. K&R