No fear: Black women and human rights * Oregon ArtsWatch

"Brown University historian Dr. Keisha N. Blain's latest book, Without Fear: Black Women and the Making of Human Rights, is an examination of the Black women who fought for human rights beginning in the early nineteenth century and extending to today. Her presentation on Tuesday, Feb. 17, at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall was part of the Oregon Historical Society's Mark O. Hatfield Lecture Series."

"Blain began her lecture by giving an example of three Black women activists. Ayo Tometi, Alicia Garza, and Petrisse Culler launched Black Lives Matter (BLM) in 2014. After the shooting of teenager Michael Brown Jr., in Ferguson, Missouri, BLM rose to national prominence demanding justice for Brown's family and many other unarmed Black people killed by the police. In a short time, BLM chapters spread to cities throughout the United States and globally."

"In 2016, Ayo Tometi was invited to the United Nations to address state-sanctioned violence. In response to Tometi's speech, the UN organized a two-day meeting that brought together influential leaders from around the world. BLM's goal was to frame human rights and narratives both nationally and globally. Blain noted that Tometi condemned capitalists "who consumed resources and took advantage of workers while contributing little to local economies.""

Black women have fought for human rights from the early nineteenth century through the present. Ayo Tometi, Alicia Garza, and Petrisse Culler launched Black Lives Matter (BLM) in 2014 after Michael Brown Jr.'s shooting in Ferguson, Missouri. BLM demanded justice for Brown's family and for other unarmed Black people killed by police, rapidly spreading to cities across the United States and internationally. BLM focused on exposing global state-sanctioned violence and anti-Black racism while building transnational networks and solidarity. Ayo Tometi addressed the United Nations in 2016, prompting a two-day meeting of influential leaders. Tometi criticized capitalists who consumed resources while contributing little to local economies and called for a global effort modeled by BLM.

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