About:

 

In December of 2014, the national movement, Black Lives Matter (BLM), came to the Gate City.

 

In the summer earlier that year, a few people met at Freedom Summer event, in which they helped train people who needed voting assistance. Together, the group began wondering how they could help locally, and Black Live Matter, Gate City was established.

 

“I think all of this country was founded in the same ways, so you’ll find the same things in all of the different places just manifested in different ways,” said Irving Allen, one of the initial organizers of BLM, Gate City. “We’ve had laws and amendments passed to stop things from happening, but never to reverse harm done and to set things right.”

 

Allen believes BLM is trying to fix that.

 

“I think Black Lives Matter caught attention to that fact across the board at a time when black death was being publicized so much, they put an emphasis on black livelihood - no matter where you are,” he said.

 

Now, the Gate City group meets once a month during a general assembly meeting. Currently, an estimated 25 to 30 regular members come to the meetings, with certain meetings and events generating more attendees.

 

The group is divided into subcommittees, including topics of education, police accountability, economic development and more.

 

Allen believes the Gate City location has made a lot of progress.

 

One way they did this was in conjunction with other groups trying to have the city apologize for the 1979 Massacre, which they eventually did.

 

Also, BLM, Gate City has worked on police accountability and the way Greensboro police handle video footage. Specific cases they protested were the Scales Brothers, Dejuan Yourse and Jose Charles Cases.

 

They also limited minor traffic infractions made by Greensboro police for a while.

 

“I think the things that get sensationalized like the news - we’re able to react to it the way that we do because it feels distant,” Allen said.

 

However, BLM, Gate City is trying to bring more awareness to injustices made against the black community, while simultaneously raising their voices in support of each other.

 

To find out when the next monthly meeting is, or when a specific event takes place, visit the group’s Facebook page listed above. Meetings will detail everything you need to know about becoming an advocate and member of Black Lives Matter, Gate City.