Black Lives Matter

Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a global movement that advocates for racial justice, equality, and the end of systemic racism, particularly against Black individuals. Founded in 2013, BLM began as a response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman, who fatally shot Trayvon Martin, an unarmed Black teenager, in Florida. The movement gained momentum through social media with the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter, and it has since become a powerful symbol of resistance against police brutality and racial injustice.

The core mission of BLM is to combat and expose police violence, mass incarceration, and racial profiling that disproportionately affect Black communities. It calls for significant reforms in law enforcement, the judicial system, and other societal structures that perpetuate inequality. High-profile cases, such as the killings of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, have amplified BLM's visibility. The video of George Floyd’s murder in May 2020, in particular, sparked widespread protests across the U.S. and globally, leading to one of the largest movements for civil rights in modern history.

BLM's activism is not limited to street protests. The movement emphasizes education, policy reform, and community organization. It advocates for defunding or reimagining the role of the police, aiming to redirect funds toward community-led initiatives, mental health services, and educational programs that uplift marginalized groups.

The movement has faced criticism from some quarters, with detractors arguing that BLM promotes division or is anti-police. However, supporters view these critiques as attempts to divert attention from the pressing issues of racial injustice. Despite the controversy, BLM has brought the conversation about race and justice to the forefront of political and social discourse, inspiring broader discussions on equality, civil rights, and social change across the world.

CHECK YOUR LEARNING

When and why was the Black Lives Matter movement founded?
What event sparked the creation of the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter?
What are the core issues that Black Lives Matter seeks to address?
How has Black Lives Matter used social media to promote its cause?
Name some high-profile cases that have amplified the visibility of the Black Lives Matter movement.
What was the global impact of George Floyd's death in 2020 on the movement?
Besides protests, what other forms of activism does Black Lives Matter engage in?
What does the movement mean when it calls for defunding or reimagining the role of the police?
What criticisms has the Black Lives Matter movement faced, and how do its supporters respond to these critiques?
How has the Black Lives Matter movement influenced conversations about race and justice on a global scale?

Barbershop: The Next Cut

The film Barbershop: The Next Cut is a fantastic text for studying how media reflects the society it was made in. Released in 2016, it arrived just as the Black Lives Matter movement was becoming a major force in America. The film isn't about police protests, but it tackles a related issue that BLM also focuses on: the crisis of gun violence and internal conflict within Black communities.

The most important media element here is the setting. The barbershop, and the beauty salon next door, isn't just a place for a haircut. It's presented as a microcosm—a small-scale version of the entire Black community. It's a safe space, a church, a town hall, and a comedy club all rolled into one. Inside, you see a huge range of Black voices and opinions: the older, more traditional men (like Calvin, played by Ice Cube), the sharp and outspoken women (like Angie, played by Regina Hall), the politically conscious youth, and the former gang members trying to do better. By showing all these characters argue, debate, and eventually unite, the film argues that the solution to these huge problems starts with conversation and solidarity from within.

When it was released, the film’s message felt powerful and relevant. It was a call for community empowerment, suggesting that the tools for change were already in the hands of the people: talking to each other, organizing locally, and using their vote. This hopeful, "we can fix this ourselves" attitude captured a certain spirit of the time, echoing the community-organising roots of BLM and the residual optimism from the Obama years.

Now, let's imagine watching the same film in 2025, during a hypothetical second Trump administration where racism is not just present but actively encouraged by those in power. The film’s meaning would shift dramatically. Its central message would suddenly feel naive and almost like a relic from a more innocent time.

Here’s why it would feel so out of date:

The Nature of the Threat Has Changed: In the film, the enemy is violence itself—a tragic but abstract problem that the community can band together to fight. In our 2025 scenario, the enemy is no longer abstract. It’s concrete, systemic, and coming from the top: discriminatory laws, racist rhetoric from leaders, and the emboldening of hate groups. You can't have a "cease-fire weekend" with government policy.
The Solutions Feel Inadequate: The film’s answer is unity and voting. But in a context where voting rights are being suppressed and the system feels rigged against you, that solution feels incomplete. The struggle is no longer just about convincing your neighbour to put down a gun; it's about resisting a hostile state. The tools needed are different—protest, legal challenges, and direct action—which the film doesn't explore.
The Tone is Wrong: Barbershop is, at its heart, a comedy. It uses humour to make its serious points more digestible. It ends on a high, hopeful note. Against the grim backdrop of state-sanctioned racism in 2025, this hopeful, comedic tone would feel jarring and disconnected from reality. The film's gentle plea for unity would clash with the audience's feeling that a much more aggressive and defiant response is required.

Ultimately, this is a perfect example of context. A film’s meaning isn't fixed; it changes depending on when and who is watching it. What was once a hopeful call for community action in 2016 could, by 2025, be seen as a heartbreaking reminder of a time when the biggest problems felt like they could still be solved with a simple conversation.

Understanding the Setting: Explain what is meant by the barbershop being a 'microcosm' of the community. Give at least two examples from the film that support this idea.
Connecting to a Wider Movement: The film focuses on stopping gang violence. Explain how this theme is still connected to the broader goals of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Analysing the Original Context: Why was the film's message of "community empowerment" and "voting for change" considered hopeful and relevant when the movie was released in 2016?
Evaluating the Solutions: The film suggests that conversation and unity are the best solutions. Do you think these solutions would be enough to solve the problem of racism if it were being encouraged by the government? Explain why or why not.
Comparing Threats: What is the main difference between the 'threat' of gang violence shown in the film and the 'threat' of a government that supports racism in the 2025 scenario?
The Role of Tone: How does the film's use of comedy and a hopeful ending affect its message? How might this same tone feel different to an audience watching in a much darker political time?
The Impact of Context: Choose one key scene or piece of dialogue from the film. Describe how its meaning might change for an audience watching it in 2025 instead of 2016.
Creative Synthesis: If you were to make a sequel to Barbershop: The Next Cut set in the year 2025, what would be the main argument or message of your new film? How would the conversations in the barbershop be different?