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Organization Information
Black Lives Matter aka BLM is one of the organizations that has effectively engaged social media to gain followers and send messages globally. It is a not-for-profit organization founded by Patrice Cullors in 2013 and headquartered in the United States (“About Black Lives matter”, 2020). It is a decentralized political and social movement that protests against police brutality and racial violence against black people. It comprises a wide array of people and organizations around the globe. BLM is headquartered in the United States but can be found in many countries globally. Essentially, the organization advocates for African Americans against violence propagated by police towards them and other policies that relate to black liberation. The movement was launched in 2013 after the co-founder Alicia Garzia shared the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter following the killing of a young man, Trayvon Martin 2013 (“About Black Lives matter”, 2020). The movement has relied upon social media platforms including Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter to spread messages to members. It has gained numerous followers and has been known for street demonstrations following other deaths such as that of Michael Brown which caused unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, and Eric Garner in New York City. The movement has been involved in politics as evidenced by the 2016 United States presidential elections.
Description of Digital Media Influence
The BLM demonstrations staged in 2020 were captured via videotapes and images that were spread through social media platforms. It was in the midst of the coronavirus, and many countries were experiencing lockdowns hence, social media was the best way to spread the message. An officer was videotaped kneeling on the neck of George Floyd, who later died because of this. Following the tragic death of George Floyd, the video was available across all digital media to raise awareness of police brutality. The movement staged protests daily across 50 states of America and in over 20 countries globally, including European countries such as the United Kingdom and France. Countless eyewitness accounts of the police surfaced on social media in the form of videos and images captured via phones. These media circulated across the globe and garnered immense support from sites including Twitter and Instagram, where a single share brought hundreds of views each hour (Illingworth et al., 2020). The 2020 BLM demonstrations against George Floyd’s murder led to the arrest of the police officer who had killed him, Derek Chauvin. In addition, the protests that were filmed live and spread via social media created awareness of the black community globally.
The demonstrations showcased across different media platforms brewed mixed reactions. Amnesty organizations and governments reacted to the videos, and appropriate measures were taken evident in the United Kingdom, Canada, and France, which have high populations of black communities (Matzakos, 2020). Again, sharing the images was a way of expressing care for the black community, which the organization achieved satisfactorily. The organization was able to gather multitudes to demonstrate against police brutality. Intuitively, BLM uses social media platforms as a way of communicating with its followers since such videos spread easily and reach large masses. In this era of digital, almost everyone has a smartphone where they can access the Internet for the news feed. Instagram was used to send the images and clips of the video, and it gained a massive following. The attention given to the case led to the arrests of the officer and the restructuring of the police unit policies. Chauvin, the officer who killed Floyd, was charged with second-degree unintentional murder and second-degree manslaughter. Additionally, the three officers who presumably aided and abetted second-degree murder were tried.
In Minneapolis, the City Council agreed to stop the use of chokeholds by the police and stated that officers should report cases where a colleague uses unauthorized force(O’Malley, 2021). In Louisville, the Metro police department, a police officer who was involved in the shooting of Breonna Taylor was fired. A letter that was posted on a Twitter account by the Department’s chief Robert Schroeder accused the officer of violating policy via the use of excessive force.
In the United Kingdom, there were thousands of protesters in Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow, London, and Newcastle following the death of Floyd George. MPs and anti-racists also urged the government to hold a sale of rubber pellets, British tear gas, and riot shields to the United States(O’Malley, 2021). In addition, the ministers were to clarify whether the UK-manufactured products were used in the United States during the protests.
A diversity commission was launched by London mayor Sadiq khan to give directions on the statutes to be retained, and those that had slavery ties to be eliminated and others erected. This was a positive move as it drummed for inclusivity and diversity across the United Kingdom. In other countries, such as Canada, Mexico, and the Netherland, demonstrations were staged following the death of George Floyd.
Analysis of Digital Media Influence
The 2020 BLM demonstrations were perceived differently by people. While the black community emphasized Black Lives Matter, the whites too stated that their lives matter. The campaigns were hence seen to widen the division between whites and blacks. However, the campaigns raised awareness of police brutality against the black community globally. The demonstrations in some states led to deaths and property destruction, fueling the struggles between blacks and whites in the United States. Globally, the changes brought about by the campaign were seen to impact sports. For instance, the kneeling sign and all football jerseys for the English Premier League (EPL) were branded with the BLM logo (Ankel, 2020). After Floyd’s death, protests began in Minneapolis, forcing the police to control the rioters via control equipment, including tear gas and rubber bullets, to prevent the crowds from gathering.
Later, the protests spread to other cities like Louisville, Memphis, and Los Angeles. Anti-racists also protested in memory of the deaths of Ahmad Arbery and Taylor. Following were proposals by the Democrats Congress to reform American police to enable prosecution of police for misconduct, address racism, and ban chokeholds. From the cultural perspective, Gone with the Wind was taken down from Home Box Office (HBO max) temporarily after persuasion for it to be removed from the United States streaming since it reflected slavery same as the US reality show Cops. Later, Gone with the Wind made a comeback to HBO max with the show’s introduction streaming historical context (Ankel, 2020). After the demonstrations, various cities across the United States enacted effective measures against racism on local levels.
The demonstrations that were live across different media platforms brewed various reactions. The main objective of using social media was to send images to reach wider masses globally. Amnesty organizations and governments reacted to videos and appropriate measures were taken in the United Kingdom, Canada, and France, which have big populations of black communities. Again, sharing images was a way of expressing care for the black community, which the organization achieved satisfactorily. The organization was able to gather many people to demonstrate against police brutality. Intuitively, BLM uses social media platforms as a way of connecting with its followers since such videos spread easily. Instagram was used to send the images and clips of the video.
Summary
In conclusion, BLM uses social media as a way of spreading messages among its members globally. As noted, the organization is an international one headquartered in the United States. In the current technology era, the organization has chosen to engage social media platforms that have connected the world. As a result, the organization has achieved its mission of organizing black communities and drumming against racism globally. It can, however, be noted that BLM has raised reactions among other communities since their lives also matter. For instance, in the United States, it was used to widen the gap between Blacks and Whites, which can be seen as a negative impact of the movement. The demonstrations in some states led to deaths and property destruction, fueling struggles between Blacks and Whites in the United States. Globally, the changes brought about by the campaign were seen to impact sports.
References
About Black Lives matter. (2020). Web.
Ankel, S. (2020). 30 days that shook America: Since the death of George Floyd, the Black Lives Matter movement has already changed the country. Business Insider. Web.
Illingworth, A. G., Gawthrop, A., & Illingworth, C. (2020, July 14). The role of social media in black lives matter: Redbrick life& style. Redbrick. Web.
Matzakos, D. (2020). A reflection on BLM in the era of the Coronavirus and the role of social media [PDF document]. Web.
O’Malley, K. (2021). How Anti-racism protests have changed the world in less than a month. ELLE. Web.
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