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It was footage of the brutal death of an unarmed Black man in Minneapolis that became the powder keg for Black Lives Matter protests launched worldwide in 2020, bringing attention to the systemic police brutality crisis in the United States. On Monday (Feb. 1), the influential social movement was nominated for one of the most prestigious awards of the year in the Nobel Peace Prize.
The nomination letter, submitted by Petter Eide, a socialist lawmaker of the Storting, Norway’s parliament, praised Black Lives Matter, “for their struggle against racism and racially motivated violence.”
“This movement has become one of the strongest global movements for working with racial injustice,” Eide continued, via RawStory.
The group started as a hashtag following the shooting of Trayvon Martin in 2012. Since then, the movement has launched numerous protests to raise awareness on the violent deaths against Black victims at the hands of police and racists across the U.S.
Trayvon Martin was shot and killed 8 years ago today. We are forever changed because he lived, and we will not stop until we achieve justice, freedom, and liberty. #TrayvonMartin #RestInPower #blacklivesmatter pic.twitter.com/UYxyuX4ljk
— Black Lives Matter (@Blklivesmatter) February 26, 2020
It is unclear how many members are officially apart of the group. Still, given George Floyd’s brutal death by police in Minneapolis last May, the group continues to act as a beacon to those looking for ways to bring reform and justice to a corrupt system.
While revered by many supporters sympathetic to the cause, the nomination was also met with heavy criticism by conservatives who dubbed the group “Marxists” and “violent” on social media. The naysayers may also be pro-insurrectionists with suspicious geotags in their phone around January 6, so feel free to ignore them.
Knowing this didn’t deter Eide from writing in his nomination.
“People message me to say that BLM is a violent organization,” Edie wrote. “I condemn all kinds of violence. However, these arguments were the same when Martin Luther King received the prize in 1964, or when Mandela received it in 1993.”
“It is not a strong argument,” he continued. “If some elements of the movement may have been violent, that is not a reason to blame the whole movement.”
By the way, CNN reports that 93% of racial justice protests in the country since George Floyd’s death has been “peaceful and non-destructive.” Y’all can see the slanderous reach.
We hold the largest social movement in global history. Today, we have been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. People are waking up to our global call: for racial justice and an end to economic injustice, environmental racism, and white supremacy. We’re only getting started ✊🏾 pic.twitter.com/xjestPNFzC
— Black Lives Matter (@Blklivesmatter) January 30, 2021
“We hold the largest social movement in global history,” the Black Lives Matter group said in a statement via Twitter. “Today, we have been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. People are waking up to our global call: for racial justice and an end to economic injustice, environmental racism, and white supremacy. We’re only getting started.”
Stacey Abrams has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for her monumental fight against the disenfranchisement of Black Georgians in the 2020-2021 election cycle 👏🏾 pic.twitter.com/BM7oSZUstY
— Blk Girl Culture (@blkgirlculture) February 1, 2021
Stacy Abrams’ name was thrown into the hat for her crucial work to fight voter suppression following her frustrating defeat in the gubernatorial race against Georgia Republican now-Gov. Brian Kemp in 2018. If it weren’t for her, Donald Trump might still be president.
A pro-Trump lawyer also nominated Jared Kushner for his work on Middle East peace during his time in the Trump Administration. Bruh.
The selection process is quite long, so we’ll have to check back in October when the winner is chosen.
JUST IN: Jared Kushner Nominated for Nobel Prize Over Role in Middle East Peace Deals pic.twitter.com/4UvQlJHLOv
— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) February 1, 2021
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Photo: Getty
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