Social Media And Social Justice Activism
- myriammetry
- Jun 3, 2020
- 5 min read
Updated: Sep 1, 2020
This past week on social media we've seen a mix of people posting content related to the #BlackLivesMatter movement and people posting their usual day-to-day content. How do we best engage with social media during a fight for social and racial justice that partially takes place online?
I acknowledge there are all kinds of ways to support the movement and posting on social media is only one of them. People can also stay informed and educate themselves on their own time while posting the occasional unrelated photo. I know and see that this is what some of you have been doing and I'm not asking you to never post about anything else ever again. But consider this: we probably all know someone who has stayed completely silent on the matter so far and until everyone speaks up and actively pushes the movement forward we have to keep talking about it. We have to make this cause so visible that no one can ignore it any longer. And it doesn't stop with the arrest of 4 out of hundreds of cops who have killed.
What sparked this train of thought was a quote that spread online after George Floyd's murder:
“Before posting a selfie or a picture of what you're eating for dinner or your friends by a pool, remember that in doing so you are actively acknowledging that you have the freedom and time to care about other things outside of the urgent fight for racial justice. So be careful about what you're choosing to say in this space right now and ask yourself, 'Could the real estate I'm about to occupy on the internet be better suited to something more helpful?'”
You may ask: "Why now? You didn't post about police brutality and black death rates 7 years ago." Yes, I 100% agree. I haven't been vocal enough on my platforms about the cause when I needed to be. I allowed myself to be ignorant and partially uninformed when the #BlackLivesMatter movement started in 2013 - which is, quite honestly, inexcusable. I want to use this post as a chance to apologize and can only hope for forgiveness from the black community. I have to live with my inaction of the past and maybe so do you, but our only perspective now is forward. One of the reasons I'm writing this post is so none of us repeat the same fatal mistake of inaction, that costs black people their lives. As white people or people of color, we can't afford to look back on this moment in time with more regret and guilt 10 years from now. We have to hold each other accountable to do better now.
Make Full Use Of This Momentum
We are at a crucial point in history right now and I think it's key to keep the public momentum of this movement going and make it as strong as we possibly can. Right now, nothing is more important than to amplify the otherwise unheard voices of those who have been oppressed for centuries and follow their lead in this movement. To my white and non-black friends: whether or not we know exactly what to say, it's time to be vocal. Whether you use your own words or share someone else's, at the very least take a stance. Social media is one of the most powerful tools we have. We have never had such easy access to knowledge and the ability to spread it. Let's make sure we use it to its full potential when it matters the most. If we start returning to our usual behavior on social media now, then what were these last 10 days for?
We can't let this pass as yet another outrage, yet another protest, yet another lost fight. We can't quietly wait for it to fade into the background of our lives again and go back to "normal" (whatever that means in the year 2020). The whole point of this is to never have to go back to the way things have been up until this point.
Be Resourceful & Make This A Sustainable Change
All that being said, seeing all of the information and wanting to sign every important petition, donate to every important organization or pass on every important piece of information can send us into sensory overload really fast. And as much as we have the responsibility to speak up and mobilize our circle of influence, we also have a responsibility to not let ourselves become overwhelmed - all in the interest of being in a mental shape that allows us to fight this fight most effectively. Personally, I've hit the point of unproductive consuming of media several times this week. I realize I need to be more resourceful with my time and energy. Being mindful of what I need to educate myself on is key. For example, once I've learned and shared things to ask yourself as a white person right now, then maybe I should learn and share information on the meaning and history of rioting in the context of protests. Try to learn and talk about all aspects of the situation. Share things you haven't seen shared before.
My conclusion? To be totally honest, I don’t truly know what the perfect way to engage with social media looks like right now. I just know what feels important: staying informed and not letting the noise of #BlackLivesMatter die down, while also remaining level-headed in order to be the best ally to the black community we can possibly be. With the flood of information it can seem impossible to balance these tasks, but I believe it’s our responsibility as white and non-black people and the only way we can come out of this as a stronger, united community and not a broken, defeated one.
What I've come to realize is that being resourceful and sustainable with your activism can look different for different people. So let me leave you with some helpful words from black poet Lindsay Young:
“Resistance is NOT a one lane highway. Maybe your lane is protesting, maybe your lane is organizing, maybe your lane is counseling, maybe your lane is art activism, maybe your lane is surviving the day. Do NOT feel guilty for not occupying every lane. We need all of them.”
WAYS TO HELP
PERSONAL RECOMMENDATION: I just started reading How To Be Less Stupid About Race by Crystal M. Fleming with a group of friends. Also, the Netflix documentary 13th (free on YouTube) is an amazing way to get educated about the vast extent of the systemic oppression built into the US police and prison system over centuries.
If you have any thoughts or comments, please leave them below or DM me!
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