In late January, Norweigan lawmaker Peter Eide, nominated the Black Lives Matter movement for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize because of its influence on countries outside of the US who struggle with racism within their own societies.

“Awarding the Peace Prize to Black Lives Matter, as the global strongest force against racial injustice, will send a powerful message that peace is founded on equality, solidarity, and human rights, and that all countries must respect those basic principles,” Eide said. Today’s question is, “how will this further the BLM movement in 2021?” The BLM movement was not a social phenomenon in summer of 2020 and needs to continue with the same passion in order to achieve its goals. 

The BLM movement was co-founded in 2013 by Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi in response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman, the man who shot Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old African-American male as he walked home one evening. It earned larger recognition in 2014 following protests over the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner, and was the fountainhead of a series of global protests in 2020 as a result of the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. 

Apart from the nomination, the BLM movement has not finished. Searching “black lives matter” into Google search will result in top searches such as “Principal ‘all Lives Matter’” and “Denzel Washington on BLM,” or the latest article, “Proud Boys and Black Lives Matter activists clashed in a Florida suburb. Only one side was charged.” In less than a day, “BLM nominated for Nobel Peace Prize” dropped from first to third most searched result in Google search. Fear of negative press should not be reason enough to stop, as giving into fear only further divides the country. 

In the words of comedian and entertainment personality Bill Crawford, “You can’t fight fire with fire, or fear with fear.” The BLM movement is currently at its optimal peak of potential. The potential of the movement is its greatest strength–and its greatest weakness. The closer the movement is to achieving its goal, the greater the reports are of the Anti-BLM movement. 

Over time, the BLM movement has lost some of its presence on social media. For the next couple of months, the BLM movement needs to be as prevalent as ever. The media affects our lives every day, and if the movement continues to grow, it can influence the movement to win the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize. Students can do multiple things to push the movement. Students should continue to educate themselves, read about race in the news and engage in tough conversations and demonstrate their support publicly. Activism sites such as blacklivesmatter.com are continuously updating their websites with new sources of information. 

Other specific steps people can take to further the movement include writing to representatives and pressuring them to work with the new presidential administration to urge for change. Volunteering for black-led organizations and teaching younger children about racial inequality can influence later generations to serve as open-minded individuals pressing for equality. 

RV engages in black history month activities every February, but does little throughout the year to educate and celebrate black culture in the school’s curriculum. Black history is American history, and should be taught as such, perhaps as part of an African-American history class or more prolonged curriculum initiative from the Board of Education. 

If the movement wins the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize, it does not automatically mean equality for black lives in America. However, it does represent the movement’s legitimacy and impact, as well as it’s continued fight against racial injustice. Winning the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize will signal a change, but it is up to us to continue to lead the charge against inequality in this country.