#Black Lives Matter

Following Barack Obama's inauguration in 2009, many Americans predicted the end of racial inequality in the United States. But violence continues to tear apart black communities. Taking cues from their forefathers in the 1950s, the Black Lives Matter movement is a truly modern civil rights movement, harnessing the power of direct protest and social media to raise awareness of the plight of black communities. The movement is pursuing real reform in gang-tormented neighbourhoods where the most dangerous violence often originates. For example, in parts of Chicago it is easier for many young black men to get a gun than a job, and on average someone is shot every three hours. Campaigners are fighting to provide an alternative to the epidemic of gang warfare, determined to stop the violence from within.