For Immediate Release
Contact: press@blmgrassroots.org
May 17, 2025
May is not just another month on the calendar—it is a sacred time of reckoning, remembrance, and relentless resistance. This May, we carry the weight of history on our shoulders as we honor the lives stolen by white supremacist violence, celebrate the revolutionary legacy of our ancestors, and reaffirm our commitment to the fight for Black liberation.
On May 14, we remember the ten beautiful souls massacred at Tops Market in Buffalo—targeted simply for being Black. Their lives were stolen by the same racist hatred that has plagued this nation for centuries. Three years later, we still say their names, we still demand justice, and we still fight against the systems that fuel such violence.
This month also marks what would have been the 100th birthday of El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz—Malcolm X—a towering figure in our struggle whose unapologetic demand for Black dignity, self-determination, and global solidarity continues to guide us. His words echo in our organizing today:
“We declare our right on this earth to be a human being, to be respected as a human being, to be given the rights of a human being in this society, on this earth, on this day, which we intend to bring into existence by any means necessary.”
And on May 25, we stand in solemn remembrance of George Floyd, whose murder five years ago ignited a global uprising. His cry—“I can’t breathe”—became a rallying cry against state-sanctioned terror, a demand for transformation, and a reminder that our fight is far from over.
This May, we honor them all by taking action. From the streets to the ballot box, from the courthouse to the halls of power, we continue the work of our ancestors. Because Black Lives Matter—today, tomorrow, and until liberation is won.
In rage and remembrance,
Dr. Melina Abdullah
Director, Black Lives Matter Grassroots
