To start I have altered my question to be: How has the #BlackLivesMatter movement influenced public policy in the United States and what other external factors influence the movement’s impact? I believe this question provides me with a clear path on how to organize my essay and how to better present my research without being too vague or even providing too much information.

Right now I have about eight different sources. I have four media sources, two scholarly sources, and the sample essay I chose to assist me. When looking for each source, I attempted to find articles that related heavily to my question and my overall topic. I wanted o get more insight on the topic while also finding valuable resources in which I could use within my essay.

When trying to find media sources, I used google scholar as well as the regular Google search engine to assist me. For my first media source, I used the official #BlackLivesMatter website. I felt as though this website will assist me because it contains the history of the movement and how it came to be. The website also includes other resources such as petitions which could lead me to find more information about the specific cases that started the movement, to begin with. My second media source, “Black Lives Matter goes big on policy agenda”, provides information directly on the policies the Black Lives Matter organizers have proposed and are trying to implement in America. The one policy the article speaks about specifically is the BREATHE Act. The policy came about after the death of Eric Garner and George Floyd who both stated the words “I can’t breathe”. As the article explains, the BREATHE Act contains four parts that cover everything from defunding the police to the injustice within the criminal justice system. I believe this article will assist me with much more information on this policy and other policies that have come into play because of the movement. My third media source, “How Black Lives Matter Changed the Way Americans Fight for Freedom”, explains exactly how the American people have adapted to the injustice within this country and fought against it. The article refers to not only racial injustice but other issues such as the unfair treatment of immigrants by ICE and how Americans have become stronger and more knowledgeable about combatting these issues. My last media article, “What’s Wrong With “All Lives Matter?”, goes into detail about, as the title states, what is wrong about saying “All Lives Matter”.  I wanted to include this information in my essay because I believe it answers the second half of my question which would be what outside factors impact the movement. Because All Lives Matter has become so popular, especially during the past three years, this article will help me discover its impact.

My first scholarly source, “Black Lives Matter: A Commentary on Racism and Public Health”, goes into detail about the Black Lives Matter movement and the issue of racism from a public health perspective. This source was written by Jennifer Jee-Lyn and Mienah Zulfacar Sharif, both of who are members of the Department of Health Sciences. This article what peer-reviewed which provides me with a clear understanding that this is in fact a credible source. I believe this source will provide me with a different perspective of the movement and provide me with information on how the movement has impacted different aspects of America. My second scholarly source, “#Black Lives Matter? Analyzing the Effects of Police-Caused Black Deaths on Media Coverage and Public Interest in the Movement”, speaks about the movement and tries to conclude whether or not news coverage on police brutality or the killing of black men and women has increased. In the article, the writers find that this was not true and only incidents of when the police officers were killed were televised. The entire source is based on figuring out how and why this has come to be. I believe this source will really help me in figuring out what sources have impacted the movement and why the movement has been broadcasted less than other events.

I am still thinking about referring to be chosen essay for help, but I do not think it could be used as a credible source. I think it would assist me in structuring my essay and lead me to other sources, but I do not think it could be used as a source itself. I also looked at other sources but chose not to include them because they either did not have useful information or I had to pay to unlock the rest of the information. I believe I am off to a good start when it comes to my resources and I hope I am able to easily organize myself and my writing in order to do the best job possible.

Bibliography

“Home.” Black Lives Matter, 22 June 2020, blacklivesmatter.com/.

Jee-Lyn García, Jennifer, and Mienah Zulfacar Sharif. “Black Lives Matter: A Commentary on Racism and Public Health.” American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, Aug. 2015, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4504294/.

Bordonaro, Francesca, and Dale Willits. “#Black Lives Matter? Analyzing the Effects of Police-Caused Black Deaths on Media Coverage and Public Interest in the Movement.” Journal of Criminal Justice and Law: Official Journal of the Law and Public Policy Section of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, vol. 2, 2018, pp. 102–121.

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