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Trayvon Martin was shot walking outside at night, he was only 17 years old. Trayvon was visiting his father in a gated townhouse community in Sanford, Fl. When Trayvon left to go to a nearby 7-11. Zimmerman, who was on community night watch claims that Trayvon was acting ‘suspictions’ and called for backup. Zimmerman then pursued Trayvon on foot, a physical altercation ensued shortly thereafter resulting in Zimmerman firing his weapon, claiming self-defense. Trayvon was unarmed and it still remains unclear what suspicious activity he was engaged in. Zimmerman was acquitted of all charges. Both the police officer and Martin were found covered in blood at the scene though Martin’s wound was fatal as he was shot in the chest.

Mike Brown- was an 18 year old teen from Ferguson, Missouri who was fatally shot by a police officer, Darren Wilson. On August 9, 2014, Brown was accompanied by his friend Dorian Johnson who was 22. Wilson said that an altercation ensued when Brown attacked Wilson in his police vehicle for control of Wilson's gun until it was fired. Brown and Johnson then fled, with Wilson in pursuit of Brown. Wilson stated that Brown stopped and charged him after a short pursuit. In the entire altercation, Wilson fired a total of twelve bullets, including twice during the struggle in the car; the last was probably the fatal shot. Brown was hit a total of six times from the front, left in pools of his own blood. Darren Wilson was never charged.

Danye Jones- was found hanging from a bed sheet from a tree in his backyard in Ferguson, Missouri. The case however, is being treated as a suicide. His mom, Melissa McKinnies argues that suicide would be completely out of character because he had just bought property and had packed a bag. His mother also said the bedsheet doesn’t match any owned by the family. Jones is the fourth person in the ferguson uprising to die under suspicious circumstances. Jones’s mom continues her fight as a Ferguson activist. #DanyeJones

BLM Movement- The Black Lives Matter movement is a civil rights movement that began in 2006 and is still ongoing today to assert political will of African Americans and protested against mistreatment and lack of social justice in various cases. It quickly became the largest protest campaign and modernized civil rights movement led by African Americans since the 1960’s. It’s a global movement that has helped make significant strives for equality is White-dominated societies. Black Lives Matter is a movement that grew in response to white supremacy and to battle the issues of racism and discrimination. In response to the birth of this movement, #AllLivesMatter became a trending hashtag, and after the most recent president was elected, “blue lives matter” is a bill trying to be passed to extend protection for policemen committing hate crimes. What binds all the social justice group formations is the role that blood shed, murder, and oppression has played in the eruption of these movements.