Image Ownership: Public domain The shooting death of Walter Lamar Scott, an unarmed black man, by Michael Thomas Slager, a white police officer, during a daytime traffic stop, helped fuel the Black Lives Matter movement. Many people viewed the shooting as racially motivated, and the … Read MoreWalter Lamar Scott (1965-2015)
Image Ownership: Public domain Twenty-three-year-old Sean Elijah Bell, the victim of a violent police shooting in 2006, was born on May 18, 1983, to William and Valerie Bell. As a child, Bell was interested in acting and played baseball. According to Bell’s fiancée, Nicole Poultre, … Read MoreSean Elijah Bell (1983-2006)
Image Ownership: Public domain Abner Louima, an activist against police brutality, is unfortunately best known for being brutalized, sexually assaulted, and savagely beaten by New York Police Department officers in 1997. Louima was born in 1966 in Thomassin, Haiti, the oldest of his parents’ four … Read MoreAbner Louima (1966- )
"Image Ownership: Public Domain" The death of Freddie Gray in 2015 while in police custody brought increased attention to the national debate on interactions between law enforcement and African Americans and inspired the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement. Freddie Gray Jr. was born on August … Read MoreFreddie Jr. Gray (1989–2015)
"Image Ownership: Public Domain" The shooting death of twelve-year-old Tamir Rice in 2014 brought increased attention to the national debate on interactions between police officers and African Americans. Tamir Elijah Rice was born to Samaria Rice and Leonard Warner on June 15, 2002, in Cleveland, … Read MoreTamir Elijah Rice (2002–2014)
"Image Ownership: Public Domain" The choking death of Eric Garner on video in 2014 helped bring the debate on interactions between white police officers and unarmed African Americans to the national forefront. Eric Garner was born on September 15, 1970, in New York City, New … Read MoreEric Garner (1970–2014)
"Image Ownership: Public Domain" With his death in 2014, eighteen-year-old Michael Brown’s name became synonymous with the growing Black Lives Matter movement and a nationwide debate about unarmed black men being fatally shot by law enforcement. Michael Brown Jr. was born on May 20, 1996, … Read MoreMichael Brown Jr. (1996–2014)
"Image Ownership: Public Domain" With his tragic death in 2012, seventeen-year-old Trayvon Martin became the first catalyst for the national Black Lives Matter movement. Trayvon Benjamin Martin was born to Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin in Florida on February 5, 1995. Fulton and Martin separated … Read MoreTrayvon Benjamin Martin (1995–2012)
"Image Ownership: Public Domain" Marcus Foster was an educator who gained national prominence for educational excellence while serving as a principal in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and as the first black superintendent of the Oakland Unified School District in California. Known as a titan in the areas … Read MoreMarcus A. Foster (1923–1973)
"Image Ownership: Public Domain" Clementa Carlos "Clem" Pinckney, was an African Methodist Episcopal (AME) pastor, South Carolina State Senator, and rising star in the national Democratic Party. On June 17, 2015, he and eight local black leaders were assassinated in Charleston, South Carolina, during Bible … Read MoreClementa C. Pinckney (1973-2015)