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Black Lives Matter Movement Nominated For A Nobel Peace Prize

Source: Bernard Smalls / @PhotosByBeanz83

This sounds about right. 

Norwegian MP Petter Eide filed papers nominating the Black Lives Matter movement for a Nobel Peace Prize. In his nomination documents, he points to how the movement compelled other countries outside of the US to take a long hard look at racism within their own societies and how it is confronted.

“I find that one of the key challenges we have seen in America, but also in Europe and Asia, is the kind of increasing conflict based on inequality,” Eide noted. “Black Lives Matter has become a very important worldwide movement to fight racial injustice.”

“They have had a tremendous achievement in raising global awareness and consciousness about racial injustice.”

Eide also revealed that another reason for his nomination of the Black Lives Matter movement is that “they have been able to mobilize people from all groups of society, not just African-Americans, not just oppressed people, it has been a broad movement, in a way which has been different from their predecessors.”

Black Lives Matter was cofounded in 2013 by Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi following the ridiculous acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s killer, George Zimmerman. It picked up steam following the tragic deaths of Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, and Eric Garner, who died due to extreme policing measures. It was also the rallying cry along with #SayHerName for Sandra Bland who died while behind held in a jail cell after being unjustly arrested in 2015 and was heard worldwide after civil unrest broke out after the deaths of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and Ahmaud Arbery.

Eide’s nomination didn’t come without hate, of course. The Norwegian MP claims that he has received some push back for his decision and has received angry emails from American’s claiming the Black Lives Matter movement is not a peaceful organization. Eide reveals he was “prepared for that critique.”

“If we go 50 years back, those arguments also came up when Dr. Martin Luther King received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 – exactly the same arguments. And when twice the (African National Congress) leaders of South Africa received the Nobel Peace Prize, there were also incidents of violence. But you can’t use that as a counter-argument to say Mandela was not working for justice or peace,” Eide explained.

Also, the numbers don’t support those wild claims either, according to a published report from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), which has analyzed over 7,750 Black Lives Matter demonstrations in all 50 states and Washington D.C between May 26 and August 22 more than 93% of having been peaceful.

Black Lives Matter winning the Nobel Peace Prize will be the ultimate chef’s kiss moment. Also, we wouldn’t mind seeing some folks being extra salty if that does indeed happen. The Peace Prize winner is chosen in October, followed by an award ceremony scheduled for December 10.

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Photo: Bernard Smalls / @PhotosByBeanz83