#BlackFutureMonth: Millennial-Run Movements Advancing Black Lives Today

A look at young people who are taking charge.

Ella Baker - Ella Baker organized the Young Negroes Cooperative League in New York City and was a national director for the NAACP. She also helped form the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party, was a member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and helped the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee support civil rights activism on college campuses. (Photo: Courtesy of Library of Congress)
#BlackLivesMatter - Women who were subjected to police brutality were often left out of the #BlackLivesMatter chants. Stay focused and sensitive toward the injustices affecting all African-Americans. (Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
ThisIstheMovement.org and WeTheProtestors.org - DeRay (l.) and Netta's (r.) lives were forever changed following the killing of Michael Brown and the protests that followed in Ferguson, Missouri. Both have live-tweeted demonstrations since August 2014 in Ferguson and in other cities. To keep their followers informed of news related to social justice issues, they launched their newsletter ThisIstheMovement.org. In January, they created WetheProtestors.org, a resource for protesters to gather tools and resources to continue the movement. (Photos from Left: DerayMckesson via Twitter, Netta via Instagram)
Millions March NYC - Friends Synead Nichols (l.) and Umaara Elliott (r.) made history in New York City, organizing a march against police brutality on Dec. 13, 2014. The Millions March NYC brought out 50,000 people and continued on for at least eight hours from Manhattan to Brooklyn. "We are a new generation of young multi­racial activists willing to take up the torch and we’re not going to stand for this anymore," Nichols said, according to their website. (Photo: Synead Nichols via Twitter)/content/dam/betcom/images/2013/09/National-09-16-09-30/091813-national-dream-defenders-young-leaders-florida-stand-your-ground.jpg

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#BlackLivesMatter - #BlackLivesMatter is what many bill as the name of the current movement toward equal rights. The hashtag, which drove information about protests happening in cities around the world, was started by Opal Tometi, Patrisse Cullors and Alicia Garza. Since launching in 2012, following the Trayvon Martin killing, the activists have expanded their movement to 14 chapters around the country. "Black Lives Matter affirms the lives of Black queer and trans folks, disabled folks, black-undocumented folks, folks with records, women and all Black lives along the gender spectrum," their website says. (Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

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