The Top Memes That Had Everyone Talking About Social Justice in 2022
Memes are everywhere these days, from late-night television to Instagram stories.
They can be funny, relatable and beautiful — all at the same time. They can also be used to get a message across about a serious issue such as racism or inequality.
Either way, memes have become an effective way to question the status quo and spark discussion among those who believe our democracy prospers when different perspectives are heard.
All this year, I’ve been paying attention to social media posts that perfectly capture what people have been feeling during certain social justice moments. As we wrap up 2022, I’d like to share the best ones and show you how you, too, can effectively use memes in your social enterprise’s communications strategy.
What If They Were Black?
On Jan. 6, 2021, thousands of white Americans stormed the U.S. Capitol. Most of them walked away unscathed.
The good folks at the Courageous Conversation Global Foundation (one of my clients) and Goodby, Silverstein & Partners came up with the genius idea of asking the question: What if they were Black? Well, we all know what would have happened. Those insurrectionists would have been killed by the police — on sight.
To spark up some good trouble (as John Lewis would say), the foundation and GS&P designed a series of airbrushed memorial T-shirts and launched a PSA campaign centered on that question. Overall, the goal was to raise awareness and encourage people to ask their local senators to pass the First Step Implementation Act to help end bias against African Americans in the criminal justice system.
A Black Person Created This
Black History Month is always an important month in the United States because it serves as one of the few times we all get to recognize and celebrate the significant contributions and achievements African Americans have made throughout the history of this country.
It also serves as a reminder that there are still a number of hidden stories that have yet to be uncovered.
That’s why I love this Reel that Instagram user @themichelebelton created in February. In the video, he takes his son around their house and points out all the everyday items they use that were created by Black inventors. As they learn about each household item, the dad ends with the now-viral saying, “A Black person created this.”
What a creative and lighthearted way to teach everyone about the importance of Black history.
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson: Overqualified
If you want to know what someone looks like when they’re overqualified for a job, just take a look at Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson.
During her Supreme Court confirmation hearings, she was overly scrutinized. Politicians and journalists questioned her qualifications multiple times simply because she is a Black woman (although they’ll never admit it). But she handled everything with grace and she was eventually confirmed—which goes to show you that, as a woman of color, you can’t just be qualified for a job. You have to be overqualified — and you still might not get the position.
That’s why this meme was so timely.
More Is Possible
The Kansas men’s basketball team may have mounted the largest comeback in NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball history to win the national championship this year. But before they won the game, the Jayhawks donned these shirts honoring the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the federal law that ensures that male and female students and employees in educational settings are treated equally and fairly.
That’s one way to champion a cause.
When Fashion Meets Social Justice
Chris Smalls was thrown into the spotlight earlier this year after he and his former colleagues led the first successful U.S. union campaign at Amazon.
When Smalls was asked to speak at a Senate Budget Committee hearing, the spotlight was on him again — but for another reason. He showed up wearing a bright red, yellow and black bomber jacket embroidered with the words “Eat the Rich.”
Fashion and social justice have always gone hand-in-hand, and this is another great example.
Pride Graduation Flags
Seattle Pacific University students handed the college’s president Pride flags instead of shaking his hand at their graduation in June. The demonstration was in response to a policy that prevents the university from hiring LGBTQ+ instructors.
“A lot of us expressed that we didn’t really want to shake the president’s hand,” one of the students said. “So one of the ideas that came up is ‘what if we just handed him pride flags instead of extending our hand, and then we took our degrees?’”
This story made national headlines, and the demonstration showed that a social justice symbol — when used at the right moment — can inspire real change.
Doña Angela
“Gordon Ramsay and Martha Stewart are being outperformed by Doña Angela, a grandma from rural Mexico and her daughter’s phone camera.”
That’s all you needed to hear to know this was a great story.
This meme was also timely because studies are just now starting to confirm what we’ve known all along: That social media influencers who are Black, Indigenous or other people of color are paid a lot less than their white counterparts.
Smash White Supremacy
If you’re looking for an example of how to use your platform to take a stand on a social justice issue, then look no further than Saint Paul, MN.
The Saint Paul, MN, police chief awarded a man with a medal of valor for saving the life of a shooting victim. When the man went up to receive his award, he thanked the police for the recognition. But he also used the ceremony as an opportunity to criticize the police, encourage residents to keep each other safe and make a bold political statement.
The man did all this while wearing a T-shirt that said, “Smash White Supremacy.”
Fake Spirit Halloween Costume
If you were scrolling through your social media timeline during the week of Halloween, you might have seen many convincing Spirit Halloween costumes that could have been mistaken for real ones.
People started getting really creative with these memes. But my favorite was the venture capitalist costume.
How is this a social justice-focused meme? Well, 2022 was not a good year for BIPOC founders looking to get VC funding.
For example, this year, Black startups only received a little more than $2 billion in VC funds, a significant decrease from the roughly $4.3 billion Black founders received the year before.
Twitter’s Homegoing Service
When Elon Musk decided to purchase Twitter earlier this year, it was only a matter of time before people started predicting the beginning of the end of the popular social media platform.
Black Twitter decided to have a little fun with the crisis by imagining what the Twitter funeral would look like.
If I was running a social enterprise and thinking about doing something to keep up with the trends, I don’t know if I’d be bold enough to follow this act.
But the point is this: Memes are a playful and effective way to engage with your audience and get your message across. And you don’t have to be serious all the time when it comes to social justice.
Coach Prime vs. Brett Favre
If you’ve been following sports lately, then you might have heard all the controversy over Deion Sanders’s decision to accept the head football coach job at the University of Colorado.
But here’s the real story that’s being overshadowed by all the backlash that Coach Prime has been receiving.
All of a sudden, sports fans stopped talking about the much bigger scandal that got uncovered recently involving NFL Hall of Famer Brett Favre and his involvement in the largest case of public fraud in Mississippi’s history.
That’s why this social justice-focused meme is so on point. It’s a great example of how to take something in the news and turn it into a piece of content that allows you to unapologetically take a stand on a social issue.
Lizzo’s Acceptance Speech
“I am here tonight because to be an icon isn’t about how long you have had your platform. Being an icon is what you do with that platform. Ever since the beginning of my career, I have used my platform to amplify marginalized voices, so tonight I am sharing this honor.”
This is what Lizzo said as she accepted the People’s Champion Award during the recent People’s Choice Awards. Then she used the rest of her acceptance speech to share the moment with 17 activists whom she invited on stage.
That’s a meme!
Summary
Did any of these examples give you some inspiration? What were your favorite memes of the year? Join the conversation in the comments, and I look forward to being in community with you in the new year.
