The Politics of Protest

This collection provides a deep engagement with the political implication of Black Lives Matter. This book covers a broad range of topics using a variety of methods and epistemological approaches.

In the twenty-first century, the killings of Black Americans have sparked a movement to end the brutality against Black bodies. In 2013, #BlackLivesMatter would become a movement-building project led by Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi. This movement began after the acquittal of George Zimmerman, who murdered 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. The movement has continued to fight for racial justice and has experienced a resurgence following the 2020 slayings of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Sean Reed, Tony McDade, and David McAtee among others. The continued protests raise questions about how we can end this vicious cycle and lead Blacks to a state of normalcy in the United States. In other words, how can we make any advances made by Black Lives Matter stick?

The chapters in this book were originally published in the journal Politics, Groups, and Identities.

Nadia E. Brown is University Faculty Scholar and Associate Professor of Political Science and African American Studies at Purdue University, USA. Brown is a scholar of American politics whose work focuses on identity politics, legislative studies, and Black women’s studies, using the theory of intersectionality to study topics across multiple disciplines.

Ray Block Jr. is Associate Professor of Political Science and African American Studies at Pennsylvania State University, USA. His research interests include racial, ethnic, and gender differences in civic involvement, the formation and mutability of social identity, campaigns and elections, and other topics.

Christopher T. Stout is Associate Professor of Political Science at Oregon State University, USA. His research interests include racial and ethnic politics, gender and politics, political behavior, representation, and Congress.