#BlackLivesMatter was a hashtag that originated following the 2012 death of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed 17-year-old African American shot in Florida.
Tragically, given the two separate Grand Jury decisions not to indict the policemen who killed Mike Brown in Ferguson, Mo., and Eric Garner in Staten Island — both also black and unarmed — the hashtag has more recently taken over social media.
Students across the country have shared their opinions by utilizing the phrase on Twitter and other social networking sites. In addition, schools such as The University of Texas at Austin, The University of Southern California, Oklahoma State University, and more have held marches and peaceful protests.
Now, Texas is amping things up with the Millions March Texas: #BlackLivesMatter on Jan. 17 in Austin. Two UT Austin alumni — Chas Moore and X’ene Sky — are co-directing the effort, a gathering of Texas residents to protest police brutality and other systematic injustices. Marchers will walk from campus to the state capitol steps where a rally will be held.
The goal, says Moore, “is to show people how effective a unified voice is when it comes to local and state government. If you live in Texas, Austin is the place where the laws and policies that affect you the most are crafted and passed. Millions March Texas is geared to show people that a united, statewide front of concerned individuals around this matter, or any matter, is highly effective in bringing about change.”
