The Black Lives Matter movement and protests are one of the biggest stories and events of 2020; following the death of George Floyd, regardless of the coronavirus pandemic restrictions.
The impacts of Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, an organization established to eradicate racial discrimination; against the black community and oppressed people across the world has been duly recognized; as they have been rewarded with a Swedish peace award and also nominated for a Noble Peace Prize.
Organizers of the Swedish Olof Palme human rights awards stated that; the movement is “working for peaceful civil disobedience against police brutality and racial violence all over the world.”
They added that, “the BLM movement at large has in a unique way exposed the hardship, pain, and wrath of the African-American minority at not being valued equal to people of a different color.”
Acknowledging the immense contribution of the Movement in the United States; the Swedish awards organization stated further that, “Black Lives Matter had its great national and international breakthrough in the summer of 2020, in connection with a number of cases of extreme brutality. In the United States alone, an estimated twenty million people have taken part in Black Lives Matter protests; and millions more have made their voices heard all over the world.”
Black Lives Matter
According to them, this illustrates that racism and racist violence is not just a problem in American society; but a global problem, including Sweden. Saturday January 30, has been scheduled for the grand price to be given to the movement; the ceremony which will take place in Stockholm shall be virtual.
The Olof Palme human rights awards is a $100,000 annual scheme; set up to reward deserving individuals and organizations in commemoration of the Swedish prime minister and prominent human rights advocate who was assassinated in Stockholm in 1986.
Additionally, the Norwegian MP Petter Eide has equally nominated Black Lives Matter for a Noble Peace Prize. He stated in his nomination papers that; “Black Lives Matter has become a very important worldwide movement to fight racial injustice. They have had a tremendous achievement in raising global awareness and consciousness about racial injustice.”
He Added further that, BLM has “been able to mobilize people from all groups of society; not just African-Americans, not just oppressed people, it has been a broad movement, in a way which has been different from their predecessors.”
Black Lives Matter has celebrated this nomination on their official twitter handle; the movement wrote that; “We hold the largest social movement in global history. Today, we have been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. People are waking up to our global call; for racial justice and an end to economic injustice, environmental racism, and white supremacy. We’re only getting started”
