Editor's Letter: Black Lives Matter Founders Are This Year’s Beacon Award Honorees

From hashtag activism to global movement

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There is perhaps no better example of a 21st century global movement than Black Lives Matter. What began in 2013 as a hashtag response to the shooting death in Florida of Trayvon Martin grew into a decentralized grassroots network whose mission was to protest against anti-Black racism and police violence.

“When I hashtagged #BlackLivesMatter, I knew that I wanted it to go viral across social media,” Patrisse Cullors told Adweek contributor Shannon Miller as part of an in-depth conversation with BLM’s founders.

AW+

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This story first appeared in the Aug. 31, 2020, issue of Adweek magazine. Click here to subscribe.