Social Media for Cross-Community Organizing
Blog Post #1: International Support for Black Lives Matter Protests
The community protests that erupted from the fatal shooting of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery (and unfortunately many more black Americans murdered by police officers) have sparked moments of community solidarity across the globe. In late May of 2020, the protests that began in Minneapolis, MN inspired similar protests of solidarity throughout the globe. Signs of Black Lives Matter from New York to Australia showed up on news outlets everywhere, but the most significant was the solidarity expressed by communities that endured similar struggles.
A community in Palestine was able to teach protestors in the U.S. about how to effectively neutralize tear gas, while protesters of the Hong Kong movement taught American protestors how to dress effectively for protests if they get violent. This international political activism reinforces the quote from civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer, “nobody’s free until everybody’s free”.
The support for Black liberation is an example of race and class solidarity that translates across borders. The discrimination Black Americans face in the U.S. is similar, if not mirrored, in other countries across the globe that implement anti-black policies and behaviors. According to the Pew Research Center, Millennials are “the most ethnically and racially diverse cohort in the nations history” (Coates, 295). The ability to utilize the resources within our community and organize campaigns toward social change demonstrate the power of political activism. This age of technology has allowed community organizers to advance globalization by communicating through various media platforms that can reach audiences that varies in race, gender, sexuality and class. It is social movements like this one that signify that this is a united struggle against institutional racism and oppression that disadvantaged communities face.
Video:
Worldwide Protests in Solidarity with George Floyd Protests in USA. (2020). YouTube, accessed from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-GLEnA_kYs
Sources:
Coates, R. (2017). The Matrix of Race: Social Construction, Intersectionality, and Inequality. SAGE Publications, Inc., 295.
Kirby, J. (2020). “Black Lives Matter” has Become a Global Rallying Cry Against Racism and Police Brutality. Vox, accessed from https://www.vox.com/2020/6/12/21285244/black-lives-matter-global-protests-george-floyd-uk-belgium
The community protests that erupted from the fatal shooting of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery (and unfortunately many more black Americans murdered by police officers) have sparked moments of community solidarity across the globe. In late May of 2020, the protests that began in Minneapolis, MN inspired similar protests of solidarity throughout the globe. Signs of Black Lives Matter from New York to Australia showed up on news outlets everywhere, but the most significant was the solidarity expressed by communities that endured similar struggles.
A community in Palestine was able to teach protestors in the U.S. about how to effectively neutralize tear gas, while protesters of the Hong Kong movement taught American protestors how to dress effectively for protests if they get violent. This international political activism reinforces the quote from civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer, “nobody’s free until everybody’s free”.
The support for Black liberation is an example of race and class solidarity that translates across borders. The discrimination Black Americans face in the U.S. is similar, if not mirrored, in other countries across the globe that implement anti-black policies and behaviors. According to the Pew Research Center, Millennials are “the most ethnically and racially diverse cohort in the nations history” (Coates, 295). The ability to utilize the resources within our community and organize campaigns toward social change demonstrate the power of political activism. This age of technology has allowed community organizers to advance globalization by communicating through various media platforms that can reach audiences that varies in race, gender, sexuality and class. It is social movements like this one that signify that this is a united struggle against institutional racism and oppression that disadvantaged communities face.
Video:
Worldwide Protests in Solidarity with George Floyd Protests in USA. (2020). YouTube, accessed from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-GLEnA_kYs
Sources:
Coates, R. (2017). The Matrix of Race: Social Construction, Intersectionality, and Inequality. SAGE Publications, Inc., 295.
Kirby, J. (2020). “Black Lives Matter” has Become a Global Rallying Cry Against Racism and Police Brutality. Vox, accessed from https://www.vox.com/2020/6/12/21285244/black-lives-matter-global-protests-george-floyd-uk-belgium
