In the wake of police violence against George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Jacob Blake and countless other Black men and women, the Black Lives Matter movement once again has the national spotlight. But with so much confusion and disinformation plaguing the conversation, not everyone understands what BLM is or how it works.

At best, myths about Black Lives Matter prevent people from giving their support. At worst, these myths actively detract from the movement and the anti-racism work its members have been doing.

What some people might call myths, I dont see them as myths I see them as tools by other groups used to do harm, stop change and maintain the status quo, said Richard M. Cooper , a clinical assistant professor at Widener University whose work centers on race and social justice issues.

In other words, myths dont just fall from the sky. Theyre created. They are a tool to provide misinformation, to incite fear, to get people to misunderstand an issue so that ...we dont have to promote structural change, Cooper said.

With that said, heres a look at the most harmful untruths surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement that need to end.

1. Its new.

The phrase Black lives matter wasnt really part of the modern conversation until the killing of Trayvon Martin , when writer and activist Alicia Garza included the phrase in a Facebook post and it was amplified by others. But the idea has been fought for over the past several hundred years.

Its really a continuation of the legacy of fighting for civil rights and social justice by people of color, particularly Black people.... It just happens to be called Black Lives Matter now, Cooper said.

He added that the only thing thats really changed is the access activists have to platforms, particularly online, and the speed with which people can get that information. But we are still talking about an ethnic group of people who have had to constantly and consistently fight for social agency and human rights in a society that continues to find ways to deny them of such, Cooper said.

2. Its disorganized.

There are three well-known founders of the Black Lives Matter organization , including Garza, but the general movement by that same name is a decentralized, grassroots effort that spans regions, demographics and mediums. For that reason, some critics say that it lacks leadership or a clear agenda. However, Cooper said this is largely a generational misunderstanding.

When it comes to the fight for civil rights, older generations were accustomed to seeing it unfold a certain way: A national or regional leader would serve as the spokesperson, organizing protests, sit-ins and other methods of demonstration, and lead the charge for change.

Black Lives Matter, on the other hand, exists in pockets across the country (and the globe). Theres no right way to get the message across, and members from hyperlocal chapters and other organizations rely on a variety of methods, including sustained protesting, social media campaigns, art and poetry.