Dec 10, 2021
Black activism and empowerment through digital media.
Digital media has proven to be an incredibly useful tool for people trying to spread a message. Especially marginalized groups who may have a harder time getting their voices heard in white, cis, male-dominated spaces. Even those who aren’t self-proclaimed activists or creators use digital media to broadcast the social injustice the Black community faces and encourage Black empowerment.
While the work of Black activists and creators may reach and inform millions of people, they don’t always receive the credit for their work that they deserve. Below are some examples of Black activists and creators throughout the last two decades who have made great efforts to support the Black community and bring awareness to the injustices they face.
Julieanna L. Richardson created the non-profit organization The History Makers in 2000 in order to highlight Black excellence in American history. Richardson was concerned about Black American history being confined to the civil rights movement and slavery, and her goal was to preserve and stop the erasure of Black history.
The History Makers have now documented personal narratives of 3,311 Black inspirations. The picture to the left is Cynthia Baldwin, a State Supreme Court Judge who served sixteen years, Baldwin’s narrative is documented on The History Makers. The work of Richardson is a step towards Black empowerment and is a reminder of the accomplished history of Black people in America.
Justice was not served in 2013 when Trayvon Martin’s murderer, George Zimmerman, was acquitted. Three Black activists: Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi created the Black Lives Matter movement in response to the injustice. They reached millions of people online through various social media platforms using the #BlackLivesMatter, which has become increasingly relevant since 2013. “The space that #BlackLivesMatter held and continues to hold helped propel the conversation around the state-sanctioned violence they [victims of anti-Black racism] experience.” The Black Lives Matter movement has moved to a global scale to demand justice for the Black communities that continue to face oppression thanks to the work of Alicia, Patrisse, and Opal.
Many Black artists use music as a form of activism, for example, Kendrick Lamar. Many of Lamar’s songs are his interpretations of racism, Black empowerment, and social injustice. For example, his song released in 2015, “Alright”. The pre-chorus of the song is as follows —
“Wouldn’t you know
We been hurt, been down before
****, when our pride was low
Lookin’ at the world like, ‘Where do we go?’
*****, and we hate po-po
Wanna kill us dead in the street fo-sho’.”
Lamar says that he was thinking of the history of slavery and systematic oppression in America when he composed the song. “Where do we go?” is a reference to the African diaspora, and the identity crisis that many Black American’s face from being torn away from their cultural roots. The next line references police brutality and violence the Black community is subjected to by law enforcement. In fact, “Alright” is commonly played at youth-led Black Lives Matter protests and protestors have been known to chant his lyrics.
Five years after the release of Kendrick’s song, the social media platform TikTok skyrocketed in popularity throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. While the app is filled with plenty of humorous and light-hearted videos, young Black activists like Jackie James have utilized the platform to bring awareness to social injustices like racism, sexism, homophobia, and transphobia. The TikTok star has nearly three million followers on the app and while she points out injustices happening nationally and globally, she also draws attention to issues on the app itself. For example, the lack of credit Black creators who start trends and famous TikTok dances receive. Speaking on the issue Jackie said, “’The Renegade’, one of the most popular dances on TikTok, was created by a Black girl. And she didn’t get the recognition that she deserved. There is no Black person on TikTok with more than 10 million followers, and I think that’s a problem.”
Throughout the last decade, Black activists and creators have made use of digital media and technology, above are only a few examples amongst the many. It is important that society engages with this content to educate ourselves and spread awareness of the oppression and discrimination the Black community faces. Reflecting on what Jackie said, it is also crucial that we give appropriate credit to Black creators in order to highlight the many contributions Black people make to our daily lives and culture.
