Ten years ago this month, Trayvon Martin was killed by George Zimmerman while walking home. In 2013, when George Zimmerman was acquitted, Alicia Garza posted a “love letter to Black people” on Facebook ending with “Black people. I love you. I love us. Our lives matter.” That Facebook post led fellow organizer Patrisse Cullors to begin using the hashtag #BLACKLIVESMATTER. In essence, Trayvon’s killing was the birth of the #BLACKLIVESMATTER movement. 

Since its inception, this movement has brought attention to the unjustified killing of Black people -– Tamir Rice’s killing is forever engraved in my mind. It has highlighted the unjustified killing of Black women with #SayHerName. It has propelled the conversation around criminal justice reform to the forefront of every federal election and every local budget conversation. 

We are proud of our team’s work over the years in pursuit of Black liberation with clients such as the NAACP, Color of Change, the Movement for Black Lives, Liberation in a Generation, and others. DBT has provided support for criminal justice reform efforts with partners like Open Society Foundation, The Innocence Project, and Represent Justice. We’ve poured rocket fuel on new candidates that represent our country’s full diversity like Rep. Lauren Underwood and NYC Mayor Eric Adams. 

“Black Lives Matter has grown from a hashtag to a protester’s cry to a cultural force that has reshaped American politics, society, and daily life.” The New Yorker has curated a series of articles and a timeline that takes an in-depth look at the first decade of #BLACKLIVESMATTER.  It’s worth your time.

If you’d like to continue to support Black Lives Matter and the cause it promotes, consider donating to one of organizations below: