Long Blog Post Assignment: Social Media, Social Change

Social Media, Social Change, & Current Examples:

Tumblr and Facebook and their Roles in Racial and Environmental Justice

“If the Civil Rights Movement were still happening today, what would it look like?” was asked on the first day of class. We spent some time discussing how there would have been increased surveillance on leaders, polarized following of the movement, and decreased national media because of changes in information reception. However, like I said in class, this isn’t a hypothetical question. The movement for civil rights is ongoing. Organizing exists nationwide, but is led by those in Ferguson, MO.  

The other large-scale movement currently impacting the national dialogue is the environmental movement.Though environmentalists have been organizing for years, as the effects of climate change have escalated, so too has the organizing. Two notable examples to consider are the organizing against the Keystone XL Pipeline and the People’s Climate March in NYC.

When KXL was proposed, there was little reason to think it would be passed; it was another pipeline. But those concerned with its environmental and cultural impact-- it runs through water reserves and native lands-- took a hard stance, and President Obama has recently promised a veto.

The People’s Climate March was held on September 21, 2014. Over 400,000 people marched in NYC, and countless others in the 2,646 international events held throughout 162 countries. In NYC alone, there were 1,574 participating organizations, 50,000 college students, and over 100 world leaders. (As a slight aside, this march was one of the coolest things that I’ve been part of.)

Later in the semester I’m going to present about how Twitter can be used for social movements, but I think it is also worth discussing the role that other social media platforms have played in organizing, specifically with these two movements.

One of the most notable examples, and most relevant since we recently discussed it in class, is the use of Tumblr to help mobilize people for racial justice. After the decision was made regarding Ferguson and the city reacted, a tumblr page was created called the “Ferguson National Response Network.” The site allowed organizers to upload the movements in their city, and people to find actions in their hometowns to participate in. It is still being updated frequently, with ongoing events and ways for engagement. The two posts below highlight some of the examples of recent events: nationwide action for the 50th anniversary of Malcolm X’s death, and an online solidarity action on the day that would have been Trayvon Martin’s 20th birthday.

Black Lives Matter also has a tumblr page. It is updated mostly with illustrated images captioned. Some are made by artists in the black community, and some highlight issues happening that are relevant to the racial justice movement. Several posts focus on the intersection of LGBTQ equality and racial equality.

Facebook, too, has been a notable tool used by racial justice organizers. Some notable organizations with pages include: “Million Hoodies Movement for Justice,” the “Black Lives Matter” national page, and “Black Lives Matter DMV” (and other city-specific pages).

Social media is also a notable component of environmental organizing. I’m personally involved with American University's divestment campaign, and can attest to the importance of social media for connecting our campus organizers to a national network of support. Skype and Facebook were particularly helpful; I worked on traditional media for FFAU last semester, and Skype calls with 350.org organizers were incredibly helpful in solidifying a media strategy.

It was through the AU divestment campaign that I was made aware of the People’s Climate March. Students from AU organized busses for 200 AU students, as well as students from the other DMV universities. Our organizers used Facebook and other social media to connect to the organizers in NYC and across the globe.

The organizers in also utilized social media. Before I really knew what the PCM was, or the significance it was going to have, I had accepted a Facebook invitation to the event and was receiving updates.

During the march, huge screens streamed other marches from around the world to connect everyone who was marching. There were 630,000 posts made on social media, including those using the hashtags #peoplesclimate and #peoplesclimatemarch.

Social media has played an incredible role in shaping current activism. Above are just two examples-- two movements using two platforms. I look forward to discussing the role of Twitter in these movements later in the semester, and seeing how activism continues to be shaped by the integration of modern technology.