Black Lives Matter (BLM) was formed in 2013 following the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the murder of Trayvon Martin. Since the organization’s inception, members have worked to improve the lives of Black people across the United States, whether it be through civil protests or fundraising.

The summer of 2020 was a major turning point for BLM, as its message reached the international scale following the murder of George Floyd in May. Millions of people protested in the streets, not only in cities across the United States but across the world, to show their support for the BLM movement and advocate justice. In response to these efforts, Lafayette Square in Washington D.C. was renamed to Black Lives Matter Plaza. Due to the effort and work that was put into the organization, BLM was recently nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize.

The Nobel Peace Prize is an annual award given to people or organizations that have worked across nations, disbanded standing armies, or holding and promoting peace congresses. Petter Edie, a member of the Norwegian parliament, nominated BLM due to their work addressing systemic racism within the United States against African-Americans and other underprivileged groups. To qualify for a Nobel Peace Prize, organizations or people must be nominated by a politician serving at a national level though a 2,000 word letter. The current Nobel Peace Prize holder is the World Food Programme.

With this nomination and a new administration in the White House, BLM has the ability to impose change on a grander scale. Though there will still those attempting to detract from the organization and their message, a Nobel Peace Prize will show the world that this movement should not be discounted nor taken for granted.