Growth of Black Lives Matter Comes With Tension Over Agenda

Amid continuing and sometimes violent protests of police killings of African-American men, Black Lives Matter is grappling with how to pursue change in the criminal-justice system as a coalition of loosely aligned groups with shifting approaches and goals, reports The Wall Street Journal.

The plethora of voices within the movement has generated internal tensions and alienated some longtime civil-rights leaders, as has the tenor of street demonstrations in the wake of the killings of police officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge, La., the Journal writes. But criticism of Black Lives Matter as subversive and antipolice, such as that voiced at last month’s Republican National Convention, has united younger and older activists, who say such comments divert attention from the urgent larger issue of police misconduct.

Read a Chronicle of Philanthropy article on Black Lives Matter groups seeking grant-maker support for the movement’s policy proposals.