Patrisse Cullors - Book Riot "How the Black Lives Matter Protests Impacted Book Media"

Book Riot | September 11, 2020

“2020 is a year wracked with one calamity after another. We’re in month seven of a global pandemic, with taciturn government response in multiple countries (including the U.S). Unemployment is skyrocketing, the end of moratoriums on evictions is coming, and the alarming militarization of the police continues forth. Authoritarianism is threatening our civil rights. The Black Lives Matter movement has a new life in mainstream media after the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Almost four months after Floyd’s murder, massive protests are still growing strong in various cities.

The New York Times suggests that Black Lives Matter is the biggest movement in U.S history. Around 15–26 million Americans took part in the protests as of June. This year marked a sharp 26% increase in approval of the movement. It should come as no surprise, therefore, that the national movement affected book media. In June, various book news websites shared lists of independent Black-owned bookstores and reported on the record sales. Some stores struggled with overwhelming orders. Many outlets like Buzzfeed shared essential reading lists about race and racism. If the movement was so massive that it affected coverage for many sites, then it’s worth looking at how Black Lives Matter directly impacted book media.”

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