Black Lives Matter Protests (New York Times)

The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement emerged in response to the deeply entrenched issue of police brutality and systemic racism against Black individuals in the United States. The murder of George Floyd in 2020 served as a catalyst for a wave of protests across the nation and around the globe, demanding justice, police reform, and an end to racial inequality.

To provide a deeper understanding of the geographic and demographic context of this movement, this dataset has been compiled. It combines the locations of Black Lives Matter protests, as documented by The New York Times, with detailed population data for each location, broken down by race and ethnicity. However, there may be some locations missing from the list. This wealth of information allows for nuanced analysis of the relationship between protest activity and the demographic makeup of the communities where these events unfolded. It offers the potential to explore questions such as whether protests were more prevalent in areas with larger Black populations, how the racial and ethnic diversity of a community influenced the scale and character of demonstrations, and what the implications of these findings are for understanding the dynamics of the movement and its impact.

BLM has utilized a variety of tactics, from large-scale demonstrations and marches to targeted social media campaigns, to raise awareness and advocate for change. These efforts have yielded some notable successes, including increased scrutiny of police conduct, the passage of police reform legislation in some jurisdictions, and a broader societal conversation about racial injustice.