Gary Johnson Presidential Campaign, 2016#Black Lives Matter Movement

2016 Presidential Election Gary Johnson 2016 Libertarian presidential nominee Running mate: Bill Weld

Election Libertarian National Convention • Polls • Debates • Presidential election by state

On the issues Domestic affairs • Economic affairs and government regulations • Foreign affairs and national security •

Other candidates Hillary Clinton (D) • Jill Stein (G) • Donald Trump (R) • Vice presidential candidates

Ballotpedia's presidential election coverage 2024 • 2020 • 2016

This page was current as of the 2016 election.
Black Lives Matter is a social movement that developed in response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman for the shooting death of an unarmed black teenager, Trayvon Martin, in July 2013. Conceived by Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi, the phrase "black lives matter" emerged as a popular hashtag that online activists used to protest racial inequality and police brutality.^[2][3]

Black Lives Matter activists protest in New York City in November 2014.

The death of Michael Brown, a black teenager shot and killed following a confrontation with a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, expanded the Black Lives Matter message from tweets to demonstrations in major cities in 2014.^[6] Although there was no central organization directing local activism, Black Lives Matter became a national network with 26 chapters.^[7] Speaking about the movement's leadership, Cullors said, "What we do is we support the chapters. We support their local demands and goals. They tell us what they need us to build support around."^[8]

Beginning in July 2015, activists from the Black Lives Matter movement began to engage with both Democratic and Republican presidential candidates by demonstrating at campaign events. Cullors told Politico in August 2015 that these disruptions were not done solely to engender policy change; activists also wanted to bring their message to communities unfamiliar with the movement's grievances. "This is a public display of the agony and anguish black people feel on a daily basis, and many of you don’t have to see it or deal with it or go home to it, so we’re going to bring it to you,” Cullors said.^[9]

See below what Gary Johnson and the 2016 Libertarian Party Platform said about the Black Lives Matter movement and discrimination.

Johnson on the Black Lives Matter movement[edit]

• On August 23, 2016, Gary Johnson appeared on "The Five" on Fox News. Johnson repeated an earlier admission that until recently he'd had his "head in the sand" on the issue of institutionalized racism in the criminal justice system. "The Five" panelist Eric Bolling said he was shocked to hear that Johnson had publicly expressed support of the Black Lives Matter movement and disagreement with the phrase "all lives matter." Highlighting the racial disparity in shootings, Johnson responded, "All lives do matter, but when it comes to whites, guess what? We’re not being shot at the rate of six times blacks are being shot at."^[10]

• During a CNN Libertarian Town Hall on August 3, 2016, Johnson was asked what he thought of the Black Lives Matter movement. "What it has done for me is that my head's been in the sand on this," Johnson replied. "I think we've all had our heads in the sand. And let's wake up. This discrimination does exist, it has existed, and for me, personally, slap, slap, wake up."^[11]
• Read what other presidential candidates said about the Black Lives Matter movement.

Recent news[edit]

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Gary Johnson Black Lives Matter. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

See also[edit]

• Gary Johnson
• Gary Johnson presidential campaign, 2016

Footnotes[edit]

v • e 2016 United States Presidential Election Overviews 2016 presidential election • 2016 presidential candidates • 2016 presidential nominations: calendar and delegate rules • 2016 vice presidential candidates • Possible vice presidential picks Candidate profiles Hillary Clinton Donald Trump Jill Stein Gary Johnson Path to the presidency Republican Convention • Republican Primary Democratic Convention • Democratic Primary Policy positions Abortion • Defunding Planned Parenthood • Agricultural subsidies • Black Lives Matter movement • Budgets • Education • Energy and environmental policy • Federal assistance programs • Federalism • Foreign affairs • LGBTQ rights • Government regulations • Healthcare • Immigration • DACA and DAPA • International trade • Rural policy • Taxes On the campaign trail Ballotpedia's battleground poll • Campaign preparations • Political and leadership attributes • Presidential campaign trackers and opposition researchers Campaign staff Presidential campaign staff transfers, resignations and terminations • Staff leaks from 2016 presidential campaigns Clinton staffers • O'Malley staffers • Sanders staffers Bush staffers • Carson staffers • Christie staffers • Cruz staffers • Fiorina staffers • Huckabee staffers • Kasich staffers • Paul staffers • Rubio staffers • Santorum staffers • Trump staffers Debates PBS, February 11, 2016 (Milwaukee) • PBS, February 4, 2016 (Durham, N.H.) • NBC News, January 17, 2016 (Charleston, S.C.) • ABC, December 19, 2015 (Manchester, N.H.) • CBS, November 14, 2015 (Des Moines) • CNN, October 13, 2015](Las Vegas) February 13, 2016 (Greenville, S.C.) • ABC, February 6, 2016 (Manchester, N.H.) • Fox News, January 28, 2016 (Des Moines) • Fox Business, January 14, 2016 (North Charleston, S.C.) • CNN, December 15, 2015 (Las Vegas) • Fox Business, November 10, 2015 (Milwaukee) • CNBC, October 28, 2015 (Boulder) • CNN, September 16, 2015 (Reagan Library) • Fox News, August 6, 2015 (Cleveland) Analysis The media's coverage of Donald Trump • The media's coverage of Hillary Clinton Post-debate analysis overview Democratic: April 14, 2016 (CNN) • March 9, 2016 (Univision) • March 6, 2016 (CNN) • February 11, 2016 (PBS) • February 4, 2016 (MSNBC) • January 17, 2016 (NBC) • December 19, 2015 (ABC) • November 14, 2015 (CBS) • October 13, 2015 (CNN) Republican: March 10, 2016 (CNN) • March 3, 2016 (FNC) • February 25, 2016 (CNN) • February 13, 2016 (CBS) • February 6, 2016 (ABC) • January 28, 2016 (FNC) • January 14, 2016 (FBN) • December 15, 2015 (CNN) • November 10, 2015 (FBN) • October 28, 2015 (CNBC) • September 16, 2015 (CNN) Insiders Poll: First Democratic debate (October 13, 2015) • Presidential Nominating Index: Clinton remains choice of Democratic Insiders • Presidential Nominating Index: Bush remains choice of Republican Insiders • Insiders Poll: Winners and losers from the Fox News Republican Debate