Analysis of Social Media Activism on Blacks

Analysis of Social Media Activism on Blacks
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Analysis of Social Media Activism on Blacks
Technological advancement has provided alternative channels where individuals can express their opinions freely. Social media has been central to allowing individuals to advocate for a cause. Activism nowadays includes protests on the streets and advocacy taking place online. Social media activism entails protesting for a cause using social media channels. Since hashtags play a critical tome in mobilizing movements, hashtag activism is used interchangeably with the term. Individuals use social media hashtags to promote awareness and demonstrate solidarity. According to Dobrin (2020), hashtags have created a cultural revolution through digital activism. The last few years have seen an increase in activism, and technology has been at the forefront. Hashtags have been instrumental in mobilizing activism on social media. The #BlackLivesMatter hashtag has been critical in protesting against racial injustice. This report discusses the origin of #BlackLivesMatter, the role of influencers and users, the visual tactics used, impact, and strategies for effective engagement of the hashtag.
The origin of the BLM
Black Lives Matter (BLM) commenced out of love for Black people when George Zimmerman received the unexpected verdict. Zimmerman had been on trial for killing Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old Black boy. The verdict favored Zimmerman, where the court acquitted him on all the charges. Alicia Garza was outraged by the verdict and woke up in the middle of the night and wrote an emotional Facebook post on how she felt. In the post, Garza was surprised "how little Black Lives Matter." The phrase inspired Patrisse Cullors to create a hashtag, which went viral. As the hashtag became popular across social media platforms, Garza, Cullors, and activist Opal Tometi used the name BLM to form a network of racial justice activists. Grassroots activists soon adopted the phrase and hashtag across the US. In particular, activists used the phrase and hashtag to protect the killing of Michael Brown and other African Americans killed by the police (Tanksley, 2019). BLM demands dignity for the Black community. The movement has grown from a hashtag to a well-known organization advocating for the well-being of Blacks. Members of the movement have been fighting to reverse a trend of racial segregation in the US and around the world. Since the launch of the hashtag, the organization has become more formalized with nationwide chapters. The major aim has been to create national campaigns that engage more individuals by raising awareness of the need to end racial injustice. The organizers put together a website, https://blacklivesmatter.com/, and have a presence on social media platforms. The organization has 1 million followers on Twitter, 4.2 million on Instagram, and 792,526 followers on Facebook.
The role of influencers
The success of the BLM movement largely depends on the critical role of influencers in pushing the hashtag. Influencers have hundreds and millions of followers and hence take advantage of their popularity to push anti-racism protests. Celebrities utilize their social media presence to spearhead conversations on social media, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and other platforms (Wielki, 2020). In the wake of BLM protests, brands are eager to hire back influencers to demonstrate their solidarity and how inclusive the organizations have become. Brands are desperate to appear as part of the BLM movement and attract the Black community. Companies know that their image matters greatly and determines how clients perceive them. Without a positive impression, brands cannot make more sales. As a result, they want to appear as part of popular movements supporting Black causes.
Influencers have been critical in denying some of the brands they use of their images of they feel that a brand's commitment to racial justice is wanting. For instance, Kelvin Benejam, a menswear influencer, has been vocal about the need to shun brands that do not support the BLM movement. Influencers want to partner with companies committed to making the necessary changes to accommodate the Black community. They understand that brands cannot change their workforce instantly but demand a commitment and an action plan on how they will accommodate Blacks.
The contribution of influencers has been critical in popularizing #BlackLivesMatter. When celebrities post images or text related to the hashtag, they increase its visibility to their audiences (Wielki, 2020). More followers also take advantage to share the posts, which further increases reach. Without influencers, the hashtag would not have reached many people. Celebrities continually show their solidarity with Blacks and condemn any form of violence against the Black community. The move has caused brands to comply and support the movement, else, they lose a huge client base. Influencers have a huge opportunity to continue using their platforms in a meaningful way. With celebrities on board, the BLM is likely to continue growing.
The role of users
Followers have also been demanding that influencers join the BLM. Users criticize influencers they feel have not done enough to support BLM. For instance, Natasha Fischer has an audience of more than 1.1 million followers on Instagram for "@traderjoeslist." Fischer takes photos of items and posts them on her Instagram to push the products. The killing of George Floyd in 2020 bought widespread protests from pro-BLM movements. Fischer received thousands of comments from angry users who felt she did little to support the BLM movement. Fans accused her of not posting anything about the movement, despite her influence on Instagram. Fischer finally bowed down to the pressure and posted links directing individuals to resources if they wanted to learn more about BLM. She, however, tagged the post #AllLivesMatter, which is used as a rebuke to the BLM and tries to legitimize the movement. The move to include #AllLivesMatter attracted even more backlash, forcing Fischer to apologize for the mistake. Activists and protestors involved in Black-related demonstrations are demanding those with large platforms like Fischer to step up and demonstrate their support. Fans are more in control of their influencer's destiny and hence demand the celebrities use their platforms to support BLM or lose followers (Cascante, 2019).
Visual tactics
The Black Lives Matter Twitter account receives different reactions depending on the topic under discussion. Consider these two posts, which have generated more engagements.
Figure SEQ Figure \* ARABIC 1
This post was done on 26th November 2021. It has attracted 18,700 comments, 5,069 retweets, and 2,299 likes. The image's caption is, "You are eating dry turkey and overcooked stuffing on stolen land." This is meant to arouse the curiosity of users who are forced to consider the poster's content to find out more. The caption is provocative and attracts the attention of individuals to find out more about the iss...