Februrary, 2012

Trayon Martin, an unarmed 17 year old, is shot by George Zimmerman, who claims that he has done so in self defense.

July, 2013

George Zimmerman is found not guilty of second-degree murder. He is also acquitted of manslaughter.

Alicia Garza, an organizer and activist that worked with the National Domestic Workers' Allicance takes to Facebook to express her anger and frustration with the verdict. She writes, "Black people. I love you. I love us. Our lives materr, Black Lives Matter.

Patrisse Cullors echoes Garza's statement, creating the hashtag, #BlackLivesMatter

August, 2014

Michael Brown, an unarmed black youth, is killed by white police officer, Darren Wilson, in Ferguson, Missouri.

The phrase, and hashtag, Black Lives Matter, gains national recongition in light of the protests and demonstrations regarding Brown's death.

Patrisse Cullors and Darnell L. Moore create the Black Lives Matter Freedom Ride, a movement to get people to Ferguson to protest.

December 2014

The police officer responsible for choking Eric Garner to death is not indicted, causing Black Lives Matter tweets to surge to 1.5 million tweets per day.

2014-Present

Black Lives Matter grows from just a social media hashtag, into a movement with a mission and guiding principles. The founders have turned the hashtag into an organization with as many as 37 chapters across the US, Canada, and the UK.