The Movement For Black Lives

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  The Movement for Black Lives (M4BL) is a coalition of groups across the United States which represent the interests of black communities. It was formed in 2014 as a response to sustained and increasingly visible violence against black communities, with the purpose of creating a united front and establishing a political platform.The collective is made up of more than 150 organizations, with members such as the Black Lives Matter Network, the National Conference of Black Lawyers, and the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, and endorsement from groups including Color of Change, Race Forward, Brooklyn Movement Center, PolicyLink, Million Women March Cleveland, and ONE DC.
  
  On July 24, 2015 the movement initially convened at Cleveland State University where between 1,500 and 2,000 activists gathered to participate in open discussions and demonstrations. The conference in Cleveland, Ohio initially attempted to "strategize ways for the Movement for Black Lives to hold law enforcement accountable for their actions on a national level". However, the conference resulted in the formation of a much more significant social movement. At the end of the three day conference, on July 26, the Movement for Black Lives initiated a year long "process of convening local and national groups to create a United Front". This year long process ultimately resulted in the establishment of an organizational platform that articulates the goals, demands, and policies which the Movement for Black Lives supports in order to achieve the "liberation" of black communities across America.
  
  The organization's platform, entitled "A Vision for Black Lives: Policy Demands for Black Power, Freedom and Justice," has six "demands": 1) End the war on black people 2) Reparations 3) Invest-Divest 4) Economic justice 5) Community control, and 6) Political power. Each demand outlines the demands, the problem, the solution, and the actions that need to be taken at the local, state, and federal level. The intention of the platform was to establish a unifying agenda that would provide advocacy groups with the necessary steps to transform the political, economic, and social circumstances of black communities in America. Although the Movement for Black Lives' platform was "launched in the context of the Democratic National Convention," the coalition seeks to implement and create their own change within American society as it recognizes that neither major "political party has our interests at heart." The Movement for Black Lives' platform contains over 30 policies aimed toward achieving the movements' objectives; furthermore, the Movement for Black lives has provided briefs explaining how individuals/organizations can get involved as well as the different levels of government through which the platform seeks to enact specific legislation. While the movement's platform largely focuses on the implementation of domestic policies that will advance black communities in America, the movement also recognizes "that patriarchy, exploitative capitalism, militarism, and white supremacy know no borders;" and thus, it is necessary that people acknowledge both the goals and demands beyond those represented by the platform's policies.
  
  The Movement for Black Lives (M4BL) has encountered a mixed reception from various interest groups. Following the publishing of the Movement for Black Lives' platform, many interest groups issued a public response either condemning or supporting the movement's objectives.
  
  Some Jewish and "pro-Israel" organizations expressed strong objections to the platform's statements on Israel, particularly its use of the word "genocide" to describe Israel's treatment of the Palestinians. Prominent Jewish organizations, such as the Global Jewish Advocacy organization (AJC), further condemned the Movement for Black Lives' inaccurate representation of the Israel-Palestinian conflict as the MBL platform labeled Israel as an "apartheid state." In doing so, the Movement for Black Lives "libels Israel, while diluting the moral seriousness of those terms: [genocide and
  
  
  apartheid]." Additionally, many interest groups were critical of the Movement for Black Lives' claim that the "Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement" should be considered an inspiration. Many Jewish advocacy groups believe the Movement for Black Lives' support of this movement seems to be furthering anti-semitic sentiment. According to the Global Jewish Advocacy organization, "MBL identifies itself with a cause that, beyond undermining the effort to advance peace between Israelis and Palestinians, is fundamentally grounded in denial of the very legitimacy of the Jewish state."
  
  While the Movement for Black Lives has received extensive criticism for its platform and objectives, there has also been widespread support for the movement. Organizations such as the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans, ACLU of Northern California, and even the National Council of Jewish Women showed support for the Movement for Black Lives by issuing public statements following the movement's controversial publication of its platform. The Movement for Black Lives' call for criminal justice reform and the end of police brutality resonated with many advocacy groups. In one statement, the National Council of Jewish Women stated, "NCJW affirms that Black lives matter, including Jews of color, who are a vital part of both the Jewish and our NCJW community. We recognize that the Black and Jewish communities are inextricably linked and our struggles for social justice are connected."
  
  The Movement for Black Lives received further support from "Democracy for America" following the release of its policy platform. One of the primary goals of the Movement for Black Lives is to promote a democracy that is more representative of black communities in America. Various political organizations have stood in solidarity with MBL because, according to "Democracy for America," it is seen as "an ideal catalyst for the substantive, results-oriented conversations the current and future leaders of the Democratic Party must have with the communities they serve." Furthermore, the Movement for Black Lives' goals to promote economic, political, and social change provide a "solid blueprint" for future legislators as they seek to further understand and resolve the problems that exist within the black community.
  
  Furthermore, Rabbi Arthur Waskow described the platform as "a remarkable platform for social change toward racial justice in America" and recommended that every American read it. He wrote that although the platform has "thousands of words that address both comprehensively and in great detail what it would take to fully end the legacy of slavery and the constant resurgence of racism", a single paragraph "and especially one word in it—'genocide'" has grabbed the attention of the American Jewish community. Waskow wrote that the specific allegations in the paragraph concerning "the Israeli government's behavior and its effects in the US are largely accurate BUT—factually, it is not true that the State of Israel has committed, is committing, genocide upon the Palestinian people." He added, "Oppression, yes. Genocide, no."
  
  In addition, David French criticized the platform in the National Review as too
  
  radical.
  
  In 2016, the Ford Foundation partnered with Borealis Philanthropy, an intermediary organization, to set up a "Black-Led Movement Fund" with the stated intention to "bring $100 million in new resources to the Movement for Black Lives". Although Ford Foundation decided to no longer move forward with their investment, the BLMF has been able to award small grants to several organizations within the Movement for Black Lives.
  Source: https://policy.m4bl.org/about/